How John Smith set the scene for Tony Blair’s New Labour - David Blunkett

Bryan taught me many things. The most important was teamwork.

I learnt that the team around you – in my case, both ministers and special advisers – was vital to success. A team you could trust and would tell you the truth; be your eyes and ears, tell you when they thought you were going wrong and watch your back when things were difficult.

The reason I recall this is because, when Bryan Gould decided to stand against John Smith for the Labour leadership in the immediate aftermath of the defeat in 1992, I had to make a choice.

I decided that, unlike the recent ‘coronation’ of John Sweeney as the SNP leader and First Minister in Scotland, there should be a contest.

I thought, after what happened to the Labour Party over the previous turbulent 13 years, that having a debate and sense of direction mattered.

Unfortunately, Bryan paid no attention to the runes. John Smith had the major trade unions behind him, as well as key supporters who would work closely with him, including Gordon Brown. There was, to put it mildly, a ‘Scottish Mafia’, and John was going to benefit.

Bryan's attacks on John during that election campaign taught me another lesson. Assess what is likely to happen and respect your opponent, whilst always being prepared to stick to your guns.

Bryan tipped over the edge, and when the election was over and John Smith had won, he was asked to take what was then seen as the junior role in the shadow cabinet, in ‘Heritage’.

Given the profile of Bryan before the contest, his ability and his ego, he decided to quit. I think that both John Smith and the Labour Party lost a very able campaigner, thinker and futurist.

Nevertheless, John Smith was magnanimous to all of us who had campaigned for Bryan. Not least to me, when he offered me the role of Shadow Health Secretary.

I was taking over from the redoubtable campaigner and friend Robin Cook, who did a tremendous job tearing apart the Conservatives’ health policy, but, frankly, hadn't put forward any positive alternative. It was left to me and my Shadow team to put together what we called Health 2000.

John Smith, who was seen by the world as a safe pair of hands – was in fact, known as ‘the banker’ in the days when the local bank manager was really trusted.

He set the scene for Tony Blair, who, two years later, was to take over the leadership.

The night before John’s death, we had all gathered for a major fundraising dinner at the beginning of the election campaign for the European Parliament.

I had been elected to the National Executive in 1983, in the aftermath of another major election defeat and, having relished the challenge John Smith had given to me in the shadow cabinet, and my role as Party Chair, found myself in a strange and unusual political position.

All the people who might have been the more prominent voice of the Labour Party had decided, at least initially, to stand as either leader or deputy leader so both posts were now vacant.

It was my job to try and oversee an election campaign for Party leader, with the European elections as the backcloth.

Now, we had to find someone who could move the Party on from the stability brought about by John Smith; and to build on the progress of Neil Kinnock in ejecting the far left Militant Tendency.

On that fateful morning, I was phoned in the early hours to say that John had had a heart attack, and that it was unlikely that he would pull through.

My task was to ring the potential candidates for both positions and understand what they intended to do.

I wanted Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to reach an early agreement, but it took some time, which eventually led to resentment, and a long tale of dispute as to what had happened; and which, at times, was so destructive to the success of the Labour government from 1997.

Now as we approach the forthcoming general election, it's interesting to reflect on 30 years ago. What might have happened if John Smith had lived, with a much more cautious approach to reform of both the economy and public services.

My own reflections are that Labour might have won in 1997, but not with the kind of majority which would ensure three full parliaments for Labour, with all the potential that offered.

My conclusion? We stand on the shoulders of those who come before us.

Keir Starmer had the task of making Labour electable again demonstrated in last week’s election result following the disaster of 2019.

For a successful government, learning from the past, but not living in it, will be vital.

We owe a debt of gratitude to all of those who came before us.

David Blunkett is a Labour Party politician, and served as the MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough.