THE Labour Party must remember that its main purpose is to move from opposition to government, according to its former leader Neil Kinnock who launched a new partnership with the University of Bolton and the Centre for Opposition Studies.

 

Lord Kinnock, who led the Opposition from 1983-1992, was speaking at the event organised in Westminster.

 

He spoke about his time as leader of the party, and on the current leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

 

Lord Kinnock was in conversation with Professor Lord Hennessy, the distinguished historian, who is Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at Queen Mary, University of London and an honorary fellow of St John’s College Cambridge, St Benet’s Hall Oxford and the London School of Economics.

 

Speaking on the current state of the Labour Party as it faces Theresa May’s Conservative Government in the General Election, Lord Kinnock said: "As long as the Labour Party remembers that we exist to try and win in order to implement principles and policies, and we don’t exist for any other reason, generally, then it’s OK.

 

"When that is forgotten, when that objective becomes obscured, by other purposes — that’s when the party rally starts to lose its way."

 

The talk, held in the Palace of Westminster-UK Parliament came just after the 25th anniversary of the 1992 General Election, and just before the 20th anniversary of Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide for Labour. The forthcoming General Election this year gave it added relevance.

 

The event was the first to be held by the Centre for Opposition Studies at the University of Bolton since the announcement of the partnership. The new partnership with the university, the centre now hopes to begin developing courses to advance the study of politics.

 

Chairman of the Centre for Opposition Studies at the University of Bolton Professor Mohammed Abdel-Haq, said: "We were delighted to be able to present such a fascinating event to mark the launch of our new partnership with the University of Bolton.

 

"Lord Kinnock has been a huge supporter of the Centre as one of our honorary Presidents, and his reflections were given added significance by current political events.

 

"Never has the importance of effective political opposition been more obvious, or more topical."