Umunna wants Michael Heseltine’s input if Labour win in May

Chuka Umunna, Shadow Business Secretary, has said he hopes Michael Heseltine will advise Labour if the party win in May.

In an interview with the Guardian, Umunna said the former Conservative deputy PM and minister, who was responsible for urban policy under Thatcher and Major (in his capacity as Environment Secretary) is a “visionary.” Umunna explained:

“There is no denying it, a lot of people in the Labour movement are quite inspired by what he’s done in rejuvenating cities and regions. Just because he is a Tory should not stand in the way of us working with him in the future and I very much hope to do that.”

Labour’s plans are devolve £30bn to cities and regions, and it looks like this is the area on which Umunna would like Heseltine’s input. He said:

“Michael was a visionary, there’s no doubt about that and he fought battles with the right of his party like Michael Portillo against active government and I believe in active government, which is different from intervention. Active government is working in partnership with the private sector.”

Umunna also used this interview to say that he’s optimistic about Labour’s prospects, arguing that the election is “ours to win”:

“I think momentum is with us and we’re not complacent. This is the difference, you saw hubris on the part of the Tories coming into this election, you saw humility on the part of the Labour party.

“Hubris from a Tory party that forgot it had not won a general election since 1992, humility on the part of the Labour party which recognised that it went down to its second worst defeat in history in 2010 and needed to listen and learn from people which is what we’ve done during our time in opposition.”