Letter: Renew Labour

I don't think John McTernan's analysis of New Labour (Opinion, 4 June) got to the heart of the matter. Extension of employment rights, reform of public services and reduction in crime may have been some of the outward symbols of the project. The core of the idea, however, was simple. It was to tackle some of the deep-rooted problems of society without affecting the material ambitions of the majority. From this came the early pledge not to increase public expenditure or income

All this was helped along by the creation of a public relations machine that became the envy of political parties across Europe.

The end of New Labour didn't come with a pronouncement from Lord Mandelson last week. It came when some of the tabloid newspapers turned against the party two years ago. It came when the fiscal rules had to be abandoned in the wake of the banking crisis. Labour needs to refashion itself not by building on the remains of a project whose time has gone. It needs to look deeply at what the public actually want and deliver new policies accordingly.

BOB TAYLOR

Shiel Court

Glenrothes, Fife