Yes, some of us are sceptical about Corbyn – but Labour must expose the lie of “compassionate conservatism”

So we’re off. The battle lines were set out in the last prime minister’s questions before the election; the runners and riders are almost in place and in Labour circles expectations are – well to be honest they are modest. The truth is that with Jeremy Corbyn as leader it is not going to be as easy as it might be – midterm, post Brexit and with an economy flat-lining – for a huge section of the electorate to consider voting Labour on June 8 with any enthusiasm.

Many of Labour’s own members are not certain what they want from a future Labour government anymore. Like me, many want the party to be both passionately principled and sensibly pragmatic; to be a party that proudly honours its past while not neglecting to shape both its and the nation’s future; to champion the state while being part of the market; to tackle poverty but also support aspiration.

In the mid-1990s Labour successfully occupied the centre ground, it modernised and reached out beyond its own activists and turned the Tories into a replica of what it itself used to be. Since the election of Corbyn we are back to the bad old days. We are now a party with a narrow base and parts of society view us as old fashioned and out of touch.

One thing I do agree with Corbyn about, however, is that the prospects for future success for Labour lies not in defending the status quo of what is still a highly unequal Britain, rather it is in working with the British people to help rid our nation of some ugly realities such as child poverty and the endemic inequalities in health and education. These problems could be even further entrenched once some of the savage and unnecessary cuts begin to be fully felt.

The problem is that Corbyn fails to see that the politics of ambition and that optimism can also be the politics of principle. Yes Labour should make the case that for a politics that seeks the liberation of people from poverty, injustice and persecution but it also needs to better reflect the aspirations of ordinary people. Ambition, hope and aspiration are far more appealing to voters than a constant reciting of what you are against and the shortcomings of your opponents.

In the next few weeks we must face outwards to the electorate. We must show them and their worries are our worries and abandon the ridiculous dilemma between principle and power. We must expose the Tories for what they are, wolves in sheep’s clothing or as Jim Royle would put it, “compassionate conservatism my arse”. Our only chance is to get back to first principles, to our values, our real values, those that are timeless, and separated them from doctrine and dogma.

My main advice to Corbyn is to seek to frame the debate in order to make clear that under Labour economic efficiency and social justice are not opposites but partners in progress. He must reach out not just to those in poverty or in need but those who are doing well but want to do better; those on the way up, ambitious for themselves and their families.

Of course we cannot afford to ignore the polls but we must not be paralysed by them either. Things really can only get better in the long-term but they may well get worse in the short-term. Though I passionately support the politics of optimism and ambition, I am not alone in feeling that that this is an election where Labour will seek to consolidate, rather than flourish. So I will deliver leaflets, I’ll knock on doors and will actively encourage people to vote Labour –  but I will do so with very different expectations.

Mike Ion is a former Labour parliamentary candidate and councillor and was part of Ed Miliband’s leadership campaign team in 2010.