Labour needs “fundamental change” in order to win again, Dan Jarvis says

Dan Jarvis has demanded “fundamental change” in the Labour Party and called for different approaches to tackle low pay, concern over immigration and “new social evils” such as loneliness, depression and addiction.

He said Labour needs to respond to the public’s current opinion of the party and warned that winning again will come from more than simply developing new policies.

The 43-year-old former Army major set out his agenda in a Yorkshire Post column to mark the fifth anniversary of his by-election win in Barnsley Central in 2011.

He explicitly ties reform of the Labour Party with responses to low pay, technological change and the need to cement the party’s roots in the community.

“Many [voters] no longer trust the Labour Party because we stopped talking about the things that matter to them.

“Having suffered two devastating election defeats, it is clear that we will never form a Labour government again unless we respond to what the public think about us.

“Offering up a few new policies won’t cut it. We need fundamental change and that means rooting our politics in the things people actually care about – their family, work and community.”

Jarvis has been touted as a leadership contender in the event of a contest before 2020 but has avoided criticism of Jeremy Corbyn.

Today he calls for policies which were also championed by Ed Miliband, such as worker representation on boards and “real transparency” on corporate tax and pay, as well as investment in education.

He also sets out an upbeat vision of what Britain could achieve under a Labour government.

“So five years in and thousands of conversations on, it is clear that what is needed is a Labour party that can lead our country into an age of great reform.

“A party that can serve to level the playing field and work towards ensuring the daughter of a cleaner in Kingstone, Barnsley, has the same life chances as the son of a barrister in Kingston-upon-Thames in London.

“But to achieve this ambition Labour must change and prove it can meet the challenges we face. We must again become a credible and effective movement and renew our proud tradition as the party of family, work and community.”