Labour MP Dan Jarvis sets out vision for Labour as speculation of leadership mounts
Backbench Labour MP Dan Jarvis, who is speculated to be a potential challenger to Jeremy Corbyn, has laid out his vision for the British economy today.
The speech has been touted as start of Jarvis' bid for the Labour leadership.
Giving a speech at the think tank Demos, the former paratrooper argued that New Labour failed to fully grasp the root of inequality, including the impact of globalisation.
Read more: Bookies' tips suggest Labour leader could last just 475 days in the job
“Let’s be frank, New Labour’s approach wasn’t enough. It didn’t get at the root causes,” he said.
“New Labour didn’t see with sufficient clarity the downsides of globalisation. They knew it meant cheap consumer goods. But, they didn’t recognise that too often, it meant cheap labour too,” he added.
He also urged the country to get "tough on inequality, tough on the causes of inequality", in phrasing evoking the mantra of Tony Blair on crime.
But he added that Labour politicians should be critical of some of the choices made by Blair's first government, after it swept to power in 1997.
Read more: Dan Jarvis throws weight behind Andy Burnham in Labour leadership contest
Yet, the speculated leadership challenge isn't without its difficulties. On Tuesday it was announced that the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy had proposed to Labour's National Executive Committee that the incumbent leader should be place automatically on the ballot paper.
This would see Corbyn in the running for the next leadership election.
Still, taking a swipe at Corbyn, Jarvis said people "want to vote for a party that doesn't just oppose the government, they want a party that beats the government".
Jarvis has become favourite to succeed Corbyn following his intervention, with Ladbrokes now offering odds of 4/1 on the prospect.