MR BRYAN Gould yesterday signalled that he may challenge Mrs Margaret
Beckett for the Labour deputy leadership next summer if the party did
not ''become more dynamic''.
The man who lost to Mr John Smith for the party's top post a year ago
and later quit the Shadow Cabinet over Europe on the eve of the party
conference, was speaking after newspaper reports that colleagues were
encouraging him to stand.
There is no question of him making a challenge this year because
nominations have closed.
Mr Gould, 54, said: ''I have no current plans to challenge for either
the leadership or deputy leadership.
''But it is certainly
the case that there is some general and perhaps growing unhappiness
with the party's current attitude and strategy.
''That unhappiness might become more focused by this time next year,
in which case the possibility of a challenge could not be ruled out.''
Mr Gould, who represents the Essex seat of Dagenham, added: ''We have
to do more to persuade people to vote Labour rather than sitting back
and waiting for the Tories to lose support.''
He warned that if Labour did not do more ''people in the south will
switch to the Liberal Democrats rather than to Labour''.
Mrs Beckett is believed to be under fire because her role includes
leading the party's campaigning, which is said not to be vigorous
enough.
General feelings of a drift to the right and lack of firm enough
leadership are also believed to be behind the rumours.
Mr Peter Hain (Neath), secretary of the left-wing Tribune group of
Labour MPs, said he had not been one of those urging Mr Gould to stand.
But he added: ''The party needs a change of direction and attitude to
win the next election.
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