Labour’s Alexander wary of cuts challenge
The opposition could be the most vulnerable party when it comes to dealing with the deficit, Douglas Alexander has warned.
The shadow work and pensions secretary used an article appearing in the Guardian newspaper to warn that the cuts combined with positive poll ratings risked tricking Labour supporters into thinking outright opposition is sufficient.
Mr Alexander, who coordinated the 2010 general election, said the lesson of the 1980s was that merely “shouting louder” did not necessarily translate to support at the ballot box.
“Even if many people doubt whether something is being implemented fairly, they will only reject the government if they believe there’s a genuine and credible alternative,” he wrote.
“Electoral history suggests that perceived necessity trumps perceived fairness.”
Mr Alexander called on Labour to demonstrate the “error of a politics of austerity” and called for policies which ensure that “Britain earns its living and pays its way”.
“To win in 2015, we need to give people who voted Tory or Lib Dem last year real, credible reasons to vote Labour,” he added.
“We can’t rely on them to back us simply because we’re not the government. The test for Labour in 2011 is not whether we attend enough demonstrations – it’s whether we can start to demonstrate anew that we are a credible alternative.”
Mr Alexander’s conclusion was echoed by former Olympics minister Tessa Jowell, who used a comment piece in the Independent newspaper to urge Labour to remain in the centre ground.
“Just attacking the government is not enough. We must not be afraid to look across political parties to see what we can learn,” she urged, before adding: “Stick resolutely to the centre ground. In an era where people no longer see politics through an ideological prism, that is where they want their politicians to be.”
