What to make of the results?

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Published: 13 May 2010

HELENA KENNEDY
PEOPLE became aware of the fact that we are going to be facing a very tough time. They realised that Labour were the best at protecting poor communities from swingeing cuts. The party got serious again. There was much more active campaigning. People were angry with Labour in 2005 – they felt unhappy back then, but by now it had subsided.
And clear divisions had opened up on how to handle the crisis. For a long time there was not enough of a difference between Labour and the Conservatives. Labour were saying we had to make sure we protect jobs for as long as possible to prevent a double dip in the recession. Young people got interested in what Labour had to say. Politics came alive again. 
Our local MPs were being rewarded for being proper Labour politicians. Both Glenda Jackson and Frank Dobson had taken up strong positions against the war and fought vigorously against onslaughts on poorer people. They helped the party get back in touch with their core vote.
There was a flurry of interest in the Lib Dems but it did not hold up. That was partly because they had not been held up to proper scrutiny. The optimistic part of me hoped for a Lib-Lab coalition with the support of others, but it was unworkable.
As a Labour person I have to accept the reality of the outcome. I hope that having the Lib Dems may temper the worst of the Tories. I’d like us to use this time to reconnect to our base and remember what Labour stands for.
• Baroness Kennedy is a Labour peer