A stand for Labour's future

This is no 'stalking horse' candidate - I am mounting a serious challenge for the leadership of the party. The Guardian, Friday 14th July.

Today I announced that I would run for the Labour party leadership when a vacancy occurs. I am standing to ensure that thousands of Labour party members and supporters have the chance to participate in deciding not only who should be the next leader of our party but more importantly what policies the party should be pursuing.

Historically, the Labour party has not gone in for assassinations of its leaders, but neither does it do coronations. To be clear this is not a so-called "stalking horse" candidature but a serious challenge for the leadership of the party.

Some have argued that instead of an open democratic election for the leader of the party, there should be a smooth transition or virtual coronation of his successor. This would deny party members the opportunity of openly debating the issues facing our party and the future direction of the country. An election for the Leader of the party will allow for a democratic debate on the future of Labour.

My campaign for the leadership of the Labour party was launched this morning. Following the "Tony Benn principle" we have emphasised time and time again that this campaign is a debate about policies not personalities.

The reaction from the emails, phone calls and radio phone-ins has been a massive wave of support. Labour party members have welcomed the opportunity of being able to vote for something they believe in again. Former members are contacting us to say that they are re-joining. The launch has generated real excitement.

We need to rebuild a progressive consensus, inspiring and giving people hope that another world is possible. We need those who have turned away from Labour to come back home.

I believe that sceptics are in for a shock. There is real climate for political debate and policy change. There are many that feel the party has lost its way. Many of the policies being pursued in government have broken up the broad coalition of support Labour has relied upon throughout its history to bring it to power.

New Labour has systematically alienated section after section of our natural supporters - teachers, health workers, students, pensioners, public service workers, trade unionists and people committed to the environment, civil liberties and peace. Spin and allegations of sleaze are causing decent people to lose trust in our party.

For the first time in decades people no longer feel they have a political voice. This campaign is a challenge to the the current political consensus.

We will now build on this launch by stimulating the most wide ranging and dynamic political discussion our party has experienced in decades. We need supporters to come forward now and help us organise this programme of political engagement. We are about to demonstrate that another politics is possible to make another world possible.

I will now seek support from all sections of the movement. At next Saturday's conference of the Labour Representation Committee we will debate the policies needed by a real Labour government and the way in which we can reinvigorate democratic participation in the party.

From September this campaign will be travelling the country, convening meetings face to face with party members, supporters and the general public to discuss the issues facing us. We will be urging those thousands of Labour members who have left the party to rejoin and those who are no longer active supporters to re-engage.

We have launched a campaign today and we will use every possible means of communication and new technology to stimulate this debate and get our message across.

The campaign will be waged in an open, comradely and friendly manner based upon a debate on the policies not personalities.

Let the debate begin!

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