LABOUR’S Jon Cruddas has blasted the leadership for rejecting bold reforms in favour of “cynical nuggets of policy” designed to appeal to the press and focus groups.
The policy chief warned that the top of the party wields a “profound dead hand at the centre” that blocks plans.
A recording, obtained by the Sunday Times and published yesterday, of the head of the party’s policy review made at a meeting of the Compass group captured him attacking recently announced Labour plans to cut jobseeker’s allowance for 18 to 21-year-olds as “punitive.”
Apart from a bright spark of hope in the victory of the Gaza motion, this year’s conference lacked vision and purpose — we need to urgently reconnect Labour with its roots rather than weakly aping the flag-waving right, argues KIM JOHNSON MP
We cannot refuse to abolish the unjustifiable two-child benefit cap that pushes children into poverty while finding billions of pounds for defence spending — the membership and the public expect better from Labour, writes JON TRICKETT MP
While Reform poses as a workers’ party, a credible left alternative rooted in working-class communities would expose their sham — and Corbyn’s stature will be crucial to its appeal, argues CHELLEY RYAN


