Backing Lisa Nandy for Labour leader

Well today is the day when voting for Labour Party leader starts. For me, I will be giving my first preference to Lisa Nandy, with my second going to Keir Starmer. On deputy, my vote is for the superb Rosena Allin-Khan.

As a party we have now suffered four defeats in-a-row, if we are to ever have a chance of winning power again we need to fundamentally change as a party. The party leadership this past decade has been an unmitigated disaster which has led us to the position we are in today with the most right-wing government in history.

I am backing Lisa for leader as she recognises that challenge and is the best person in my view to regain the trust of the millions of lost Labour voters and rebuild the coalition that we need to win power. We also need policies which are seen as credible and realistic, our recent manifesto wasn’t and that is is something we need to recognise. Consistently on the campaign trail, Lisa has been prepared to make the case for change and also tackle anti-Semitism which has been a stain on our party.

This will be no easy task as if we don’t change then the future of the party is at stake. We have lost 8 out of 11 elections in my lifetime and it may be a long road back to power.