In this week’s Tribune, David Miliband writes:

we must renew our party so we become a movement for change in our communities as well as an election-winning machine. I am convinced that many of the seats we held onto were because of the work done by local activists in their local communities. They know what works – we have to learn from them.

As a start, we need to engage far better with the three million trade unionists who choose to pay the political levy in what I believe is a positive act of democratic participation. We should also look at what sister socialist parties around the world have done, with experiments such as free party membership and building up connections with civic society that new media make possible.

Ed Balls also sets out his vision for party reform:

That’s why it’s so important we seize this chance to renew the Labour Party from the bottom up. Political parties neglect their base at their peril: in our early years in office there were endless stories that we were considering ending the historic trade union link and at times we seemed to denigrate the vital role of local government and councillors.

So to win again we must use this leadership election to build and strengthen our own new coalition, reconnecting with the communities we serve and people who supported us in 1997, 2001 and 2005.