Falconer: PM must spell out vision
The former attorney general said that the reaction to autumn election postponement had transformed the next election
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Sunday, 14, Oct 2007 10:40
Lord Falconer has called on prime minister Gordon Brown to clearly spell out his vision for the future in order to ensure success in elections.
In an article in the Sunday Times newspaper, the former lord chancellor said he did not expect an election to be held before 2009 and urged his party to formulate clear policy proposals to guarantee another term in office.
The Labour peer said Mr Brown had a vision for the UK which needed to be "spelt out, fleshed out and defined in policy choices."
Writing in the paper, Lord Falconer also said that he feared that the party would lose its initiative if it did not offer a "progressive view of politics".
"Making clear our vision is the challenge for the Labour party now. Because if we rely on experience and our ability to handle the crises which come along and do not set out, in the coming months our vision for the future of the UK, a vision which represents the progressive view of politics, then we will be offering drift not leadership, and the past not the future."
He admitted that the calling off of a general election had hurt the government saying that it had transformed the next general election into a contest over "competing visions for the future of our country".
"The election is going to be about policy not politics," he added.
Lord Falconer, a key ally of Mr Brown's predecessor Tony Blair, urged the prime minister to respond to the election setback, which has seen the Tories make gains in the polls, by renewing the party.
"The events of the last few weeks establish beyond doubt that steady as she goes is not an option.
"Renewal does not come from a change of leadership alone. And political leadership requires not just an ability to deal with the present. It also requires the ability to convince the public you lead that your vision of the future is one they share," he added.
Lord Falconer said that the prime minister had a strong team that was able to lead. He also claimed that the ruling out of an autumn poll would make victory harder for the Conservatives.