EMMA LEWELL: 'Labour doesn't need to be welded to a plan for change - we need a change of plan'

Trust matters.

The Tories made promises to the public and never delivered on them. Years of austerity laid waste to communities up and down the country. The public made their feelings known at last years General Election and this weeks’ local elections. They are increasingly looking like a spent force in British politics.

Labour was elected on the promise that we would be committed to serving the public and in doing so improve their lives.

Within months of that General Election there was the ‘freebies’ scandal and the removal of winter fuel from millions of pensioners.

We spent a decade telling the WASPI women we supported them, then decided they didn’t deserve compensation.

Now disabled people are terrified that they are going to lose PIP.

The Hillsborough Law is yet to materialise, the sub-postmasters and infected blood scandal victims are still fighting for compensation and the nuclear veterans still don’t have justice.

Our new deal for workers, decisive action to save British steel, improvements to the NHS, efforts to tackle immigration and so much more are being overshadowed by these decisions.

Being in Government can be unpopular but choices have been made that weren’t needed, choices that will make little difference to the dire economic inheritance we were left with but have cost us at the ballot box.

There is a deep disconnect with the public and a growing sense that the two main parties just don’t get it.

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That is why across the country people are seeking alternatives. The Labour Party doesn’t need to lurch right or left, we need to do what we say we will do and do it in line with our core values and principles of social justice and fairness.

Strong governments listen to the public and their MPs who are telling them they are making grave mistakes. Strong governments welcome dissent and robust challenge. Strong governments admit mistakes and change.

We don’t need to be welded to a plan for change that has been so roundly rejected this week by the public, what we need is a change of plan.