MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

British Labour apparatus restless about electoral prospects

Former British Cabinet minister Peter Hain

Former British Cabinet minister Peter Hain has delivered a stark warning that Labour faces electoral disaster unless it adopts a “very different” agenda. In what will be seen as a thinly-veiled attack on Gordon Brown's leadership, Mr Hain insisted the party had lost its “narrative” and was no longer seen as a “credible force for change”.

The ex-Work and Pensions Secretary used an interview with the Sunday Telegraph and an article for the Independent on Sunday to set out his critique. He said the Government's policies “do not add up to a programme to get the pulse of potential Labour voters racing”.

“To win, Labour must be seen as the credible force for change, and that means changing itself - and there is not much time left,” the Neath MP warned.

“If we want to be the government for the next five years, we are going to have to offer a very different prospectus or the people won't buy it. Just saying we want more of New Labour is not enough.”

The intervention came despite two of Labour's rising stars pleading for the party to stay calm and not succumb to infighting as it wrestles with the economic crisis. Amid dire poll ratings and signs that senior figures are already jockeying to succeed Gordon Brown, Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell delivered a call for unity.

Speaking at the Scottish Labour conference in Dundee, Mr Purnell told activists that Britain and the party were facing “difficult times”.

“Amidst the turmoil we will face over the months ahead, we will have to answer a question as a country and a party,” he said. “Will we stick together and use our unity to build a better world than we had before, or will we let our fears force us apart?”

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband used his speech to call for calm heads despite the “testing times”. He added: “These storm clouds will pass and we need to show we have a vision for the future of our environment, our economy and our society as well.”