New Labour has 'run its course', says senior MP

A senior Labour backbencher has said New Labour has "run its course" and that Gordon Brown must show "strength, will and purpose" to renew the government.

In an interview with ePolitix.com, schools committee chairman Barry Sheerman also said that he "very much doubted" that the embattled prime minister would face a leadership challenge.

Asked if this autumn was make or break for Brown's premiership Sheerman conceded it was a "very important stage".

He said that the Labour Party could win a fourth term if it "goes away, looks closely at what it has achieved in the last 11 years and evaluates what is good and what the bang for the buck was what did we get for our investment".

"Then we need to ask which ones were the ones that the electorate liked," he said.

"When we have done that audit we can position ourselves for the next five years."

Sheerman went on: "Lord Giddens is absolutely right - we need to look for a new paradigm, the New Labour paradigm has run its course and we need to find a new one based on the evidence, based on what's worked.

"A party in government can do it and the real challenge to Gordon and the rest of the leadership of the party is to show that they have the strength, will and purpose to do it."

Asked if a new leader would emerge to present that new "paradigm" Sheerman said: "I very much doubt there will be a leadership challenge. In the Labour Party that is not something that is very easy given the constitution.

"If there was a leadership challenge that would have to be precipitated by a decision from Gordon not to carry on and he would only not carry on if he lost the confidence of a sizable part of his cabinet and of the parliamentary Labour Party."