Andy Burnham's victory in Makerfield is a victory for mainstream Labour values. The people of Makerfield chose hope, unity and a radical change of direction. He won by offering a bold and popular left programme that can transform lives, raise living standards, and redress the imbalance of power and wealth that plagues the UK.
Andy won because he united voters around a positive vision for the future. He has proven that Labour succeeds when we are confident in our values, ambitious in our offer and willing to speak to the hopes and fears of communities too often taken for granted by our distant and centralised politics. He has also shown that Labour wins when it draws upon the energy, ideas and talents of our whole movement.
The route back to political strength is a confident Labour politics that unites, inspires and offers a new political and economic settlement. Labour should reflect carefully on what happened in Makerfield. The country is asking for a new chapter. The sooner we listen, the sooner we can build the broad coalition needed to defeat the politics of division and deliver the radical change that Britain needs.
