Barry Sheerman: The party I love is a party of ideas and ideals. That's why I back David Miliband

When I joined the Labour Party, in my student days, I did so because I firmly believed that our party had a set of moral and ethical principles superior to any other. This was not just because of Labour's commitment to fairness, opportunity and equality, rather it was because it believed in putting these values into practice in everyday life, in the co-operative and mutual organisations, in socialist Sunday schools and in our local party activities.

Like David Miliband, I've always wanted to be in a party rooted in our diverse communities with the highest priority on collective and individual activity. After all, our Labour movement grew from the bottom up and can only thrive when we are regularly nourished and reinvigorated by the ideas and aspirations that stem from our grass roots. Like me, he seems determined that our party reasserts its commitment to equality of opportunity, fairness and kindness without exception, and with a truly progressive ambition.

As a member of Parliament first elected in 1979, I don't want to wait another 18 years for another Labour government. In truth, I'd rather not wait another 18 days, but we must now focus our minds on the future.

To win an election, we have to face outwards not inwards and look forward to how our party can breathe new life into our society, our economy and our politics. Only one person has, in my mind, the capacity to do all these things, and that is David Miliband.

As an experienced Parliamentarian, I have worked closely with many leading politicians, party leaders and, indeed, Prime Ministers. Rarely have I seen someone who combines so many of the skills required to lead our country. He is a man with an engaging intellect and a warm heart. Someone who brings a buzz to a room whenever he is present, makes an activist or citizen feel valued, and who can engage with people across the spectrum of our diverse and challenging society.

I have been impressed that so many others have joined me in supporting David Miliband. More than 100 MPs are now backing him, including key Labour Party figures Alistair Darling, Alan Johnson, Tessa Jowell, Jack Straw and John Cruddas, who announced his support only this week. They agree with me that we need a leader who is determined to reinvigorate our party, challenge the coalition Government day after day and lead us to electoral success by enthusing the multitude who failed to vote, or failed to vote for us, in May.

Many of the people I speak to across Yorkshire tell me that they want Labour to elect a leader who is not a Blairite or a Brownite. Indeed, someone who represents a clean break from the partisan tribalism that emerged in recent years. They also say they believe that David Miliband is that person who can, in this new political world, provide unity within the party and attract new members and, vitally, new voters.

The next General Election may well come much sooner than most pundits are predicting. The coalition Government exhibits little moral purpose, but rather just a grim determination to cling to office. Amid signs that we could be heading into a double dose of recession, we as a determined, highly organised and well led opposition, have a duty not only to recover and renew, but to win an early election because it is in the dark times that the vulnerable in society need our protection most.

In order to seize this opportunity, we need the very best leader we can get and, at all costs, we must avoid the soft option of choosing someone who will give us an easier and less demanding challenge. It is time for a serious, thoughtful, purposeful leader.

I have great faith in the Labour Party to make the right decision. We no longer have a party that is ruled by a small group of trade union leaders. We have a system of one member, one vote. I am sure that ordinary members have the good sense to know that if we are to be taken seriously, not only by ourselves, but also by our friends, neighbours and those whose votes we need for success, we must have a leader who is credible and can win.

Whenever this long summer campaign has reached out to more people both in the party and to regular citizens, David Miliband has come through as the clear first choice. Where there have been local primaries, David Miliband has won them convincingly. When local polls have been conducted, as we did in Huddersfield, again David Miliband has been the clear winner.

The party I love is a party of ideas, ideals and values and I want a leadership concerned with these. He is, of course, a most experienced politician. Not only has he held three cabinet posts including

Foreign Secretary, but was also the most outstanding Education Minister I came across in my 10 years of chairing the Education Select Committee in Parliament. He has my respect and my vote.

Barry Sheerman is the Labour MP for Huddersfield and a former chairman of Parliament's Education Select Committee.