Rachel Reeves: The leader who could offer a real alternative

As a result of the global credit crunch, the Government has had to borrow more to keep the economy going, but as we come out of the recession, the scale of Government borrowing needs to be drastically reduced. During the election campaign, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats promised they would do this without cutting frontline services. The coalition has already reneged on this promise, with cuts to programmes that help unemployed young people find jobs and that help children who are behind at school catch up with reading and maths. And this despite the fact that public borrowing is actually 20bn less than originally forecast. Over the coming years, cuts are likely to be even more savage, with many dedicated public servants in our region losing their jobs as a result.

Labour lost the election, and we lost it badly. Losing seats including Calder Valley, Colne Valley, Bradford East and Pudsey was devastating for us as a party. We lost support because too many people felt

insecure and worried about the future, and they held us responsible for their insecurity and worries. One of the most pressing tasks facing the

Labour Party is to elect a new leader. This leader must be able to reconnect Labour with the supporters that we have lost, and they will only be able to do this if they have innovative and credible solutions to the problems faced by our region and our country.

When the Labour leadership candidates first came forward, I was

reluctant to choose one of them to nominate. I didn't feel that I would have the chance to get to know the contenders well enough to make a fully informed decision. However, after meeting the candidates, and having detailed discussions about their priorities for the country, it

was clear to me that one candidate was exceptional.

That candidate is Ed Miliband. I came away from my meeting with Ed feeling inspired and excited. He has the personality, passion and drive that is needed to make an excellent Labour leader and Prime Minister. It is common for politicians to talk about "listening to the voters", but I'm not sure we always hear what they are trying to tell us. I am confident that Ed is someone who doesn't just listen, but really hears voters concerns. And acts on those concerns.

You can see this in the policy agenda he is developing as part of his leadership campaign. The National Minimum Wage was one of Labour's greatest achievements, lifting millions out of very low pay, but millions earning the NMW still live in poverty and rely on welfare benefits to support their families, so Ed is campaigning for companies to adopt a living wage to lift these workers and their families out of poverty – and for local and central government to pay a living wage,

too.

He also supports better legal protection for workers employed in temporary jobs and by employment agencies as well pursuing policies to support manufacturing and new industries to re-balance the economy away from financial services.

Under Gordon Brown, Labour led the world in saving the global financial system by recapitalising our banks. However, in the aftermath of the financial crisis, we became too technocratic and managerial and failed to listen to the anger of voters about the way that banks had behaved.

Therefore Ed is talking about the need to improve regulation of the banks, particularly around the excessive bonuses being paid out.

For many families on low and middle incomes, the prospect of being able to own or rent decent and affordable family homes has become increasingly out of reach. Ed has identified the issue of affordable housing, both socially rented and to buy, as another key priority. Meanwhile, changes to planning regulations proposed by the coalition will make it harder to build the homes that families need.

I believe that economic insecurity around issues of work and housing

are key reasons many traditional labour voters feel so threatened and angry about immigration. Dealing with their concerns is not just about tackling immigration policy, but dealing with the underlying economic insecurity and injustice, education, the economy, jobs and housing, and these are Ed's priorities.

With Ed Miliband as leader, I believe that the Labour Party can offer a real and attractive alternative to the agenda of cuts proposed by the coalition that risk our economic future and prosperity. Ed can offer something new – a rebuilt, refreshed and transformed Labour Party to offer hope, idealism and inspiration for a better future.

Rachel Reeves is the Labour MP for Leeds West.