Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, challenges his own parties current actions during the recent May elections. This was following the Labours unusual loss in Hartlepool.

Hartlepool had been a faithful labour constituency since 1974. However, this longstanding record was eventually broken this year when Jill Mortimer of the conservative party took over as MP, defeating labour by almost 7000 votes. 

Mr Mahmood said labour needs to get back in touch with its original voters, the ordinary British people who were sick of the wealthy London based bourgeoisie. 

In an article he wrote on the Policy Exchange he said that the current labour candidates, “have more in common with those of Californian high society than the kind of people who voted in Hartlepool.”

Further on, he discusses how labour must first adopt some humility before taking a step towards gaining peoples trust again. He even questioned if the labour party has now veered into an “anti-British attitude.”

One of the main fixes he gave was;

By supporting jobs in these so-called left-behind areas – with changes to public procurement, for example, that bring jobs back to the UK and support manufacturing jobs, including those in high tech, advanced manufacturing.”

In closing he said;

It would be easy for Labour MPs and members to whinge about the unfairness of this summary of the past decade. But we must recognise that is how we are seen by so many people in the places that were once unfailingly loyal to us – as a party that has lost its way.”