IAN Murray will today launch his campaign for the Labour deputy leadership in Scotland, warning his party not to turn inward after its General Election defeat but to look outwards and become a “broad church”.
Labour’s only Scottish MP pledged to engage on a listening tour of Britain, visiting every region and nation, to understand why voters had abandoned the party and to report back to the autumn party conference.
The MP for Edinburgh South, who launches his campaign at his former school, the Wester Hailes Education Centre, will highlight his experience in fighting and retaining his seat in the Scottish capital through building a broad coalition of voters, which he hopes will ultimately deliver victory for Labour.
“Throughout my life, I’ve beaten the odds to succeed. And today, the Labour Party needs to beat the odds to win again,” the 43-year-old will declare.
“I want to change our party so that we can win power and transform people’s lives. The Labour Party let down the voters of Britain last year. That can’t ever happen again.
“We must reach out and listen to every corner of this country and every type of person in our country. Our party can only win by winning support across the whole of Great Britain and by becoming a broad church once again,” Mr Murray will say.
The former Shadow Scottish Secretary will say that central to winning is building coalitions of people with different and varied interests.
“We have a choice to make. Do we try to divide people and set them against each other? Or do we stay true to our Labour values and try to unite them around a common vision and a common purpose? I choose the latter.”
He will add: “We must become a credible alternative government, not a party of perpetual opposition.”
Earlier, Lisa Nandy, who is contesting the party’s leadership, suggested the UK should not strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the US if Donald Trump followed through on his commitment to quit the Paris Agreement on tackling the climate crisis.
"We must use trade to support climate action, not hamper it," insisted the MP for Wigan.
To get on the final ballot candidates need nominations from either five per cent of local parties ie 33 or at least three affiliates, at least two of which must be trade union affiliates, comprising five per cent of affiliated membership.
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