"Four years ago, Hartlepool confirmed the view of influential figures around Sir Keir that if Labour was to succeed it would be through ruthlessly expunging the leftish influence of most of its members, in favour of a topdown, centralised approach. The politics that subsequently emerged was technocratic, cautious to a fault and contemptuous of those who dared to remain within a supposed ideological comfort zone."
"That has liberated her to articulate the view that a course correction is required: one that dials down the command and control style behaviour at the top, and starts to treat traditional Labour instincts and convictions on issues such as inequality and poverty as electoral assets rather than liabilities. Although she will have no direct policy portfolio, Ms Powell expects to attend cabinet meetings."
Wes Streeting compared Labour’s Caerphilly loss to the Hartlepool defeat that pushed the party toward a centralised, technocratic strategy. That previous approach sidelined left-leaning members and produced cautious, managerial politics. Current conditions call for almost the opposite strategic change. Lucy Powell’s election as deputy leader on low turnout signalled a bottom-up rebuke. Powell, the only cabinet minister sacked in the reshuffle, argues for a course correction that reduces command-and-control behaviour and repositions traditional Labour convictions on inequality and poverty as electoral strengths. Powell expects to attend cabinet meetings and could be an opportunity to reset party relations.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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