Keeping things in context – why Ivan Lewis is right on the economy

By Ian Murray MP / @IanMurrayMP

There was an article on LabourList yesterday called, “Why Ivan Lewis is wrong on the economy” by Tom Ladds. Tom clearly hasn’t read Ivan Lewis’s Progress speech and distorts the few words which were removed.

Ivan’s speech focused specifically on the “squeezed middle” voters Labour lost in the South East, South West and East of England mainly to the Tories at the 2010 election. His message was that we have to win them back if we are to form a Government at the next election. He also articulated accurately and clearly why these voters left Labour, why they feel alienated from us and proposed a positive agenda as to how we could regain their support along with other voters.

As for the economy neither in the Standard article or anywhere else did Ivan say we were to blame for the recession or deficit. He made the common-sense point that many of these voters saw Labour as having overspent without delivering sufficient value for money and therefore we need to deal with their concerns.

If we are to build on the gains we made in the local elections and learn lessons from elsewhere, it is essential we are honest about the challenges we face. Denial is an option but it is also the certain route to a second defeat.

I urge LabourList contributors to read Ivan’s speech rather than take notice of a distorted and highly misleading commentary. It is unfortunate that Tom links to the Evening Standard article and not the speech itself.

His analysis may make uncomfortable reading but it is the truth about a group of voters who supported us in 1997, 2001 and 2005 but deserted us in 2010. We dismiss these voters at our peril as they will decide the result in constituencies which Labour must win if we are to return to government. People have every right to challenge Ivan’s analysis, but not distort what he said or collude with the Tories who have the most to gain if we fail to face up to the challenge he sets us in his speech.