Leading Labour: The Fabian essays

At crucial moments throughout Labour’s history, the Fabian Society has been the place where the party reflects on its past and debates its future. Now, as Labour seeks to come to terms with its shocking rejection at the polls and elect a new leader, we have asked each of the contenders for the leadership to set out their political visions and offers to the party.

The next leader of the Labour party will face a very different political landscape to their predecessors. So many of the old political certainties are no more, and Labour will have to reach out in many different directions to secure a majority government. The long shadow cast by the financial crisis limits the potential for public spending, and faith in the ability of political institutions to tackle complex social problems has collapsed.

This new landscape of course brings with it great challenges, but also huge opportunities to practise politics in new and exciting ways. In these essays, all four candidates were tasked with answering the same main question: how can the Labour party thrive in new times and secure its fundamental mission of creating a more equal society?

With essays by

• Andy Burnham, MP for Leigh since 2001
• Yvette Cooper, MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford since 2010, having previously been the MP for Pontefract and Castleford since 1997
• Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North since 1983
• Liz Kendall, MP for Leicester West since 2010