Like it or not, the result of the next British general election will be determined in the southern and Midlands marginal seats that Labour has to win if it wants to secure an overall parliamentary majority. This remains our most formidable strategic challenge. In the 2010 election across the south-east, south-west, and eastern regions, Labour won only 10 out of 197 seats; in the south and Midlands as a whole, the party now holds just 49 out of 302 constituencies. We have to re-establish the potent electoral alliance that Labour assembled to secure three successive election victories in 1997, 2001, and 2005 between traditional Labour voters and the aspiring groups who tend to be more heavily populated in the marginal seats.

The argument for focusing on the south and the Midlands may seem odd, given that Labour performed poorly in other regions in 2010, notably Lancashire, Cumbria, Yorkshire, and Humberside. But even if Labour performs better in Wales, Scotland and northern England in 2015, there are simply not enough marginal seats for the party to secure a parliamentary majority. The key to recovery lies in the southern and Midlands marginals, in target seats such as Harlow, Stevenage, Crawley, Loughborough, and Northampton.

The party has to recover in southern England for the sake of political principle, not just electoral advantage. Labour has to aspire to be a national party with roots in every geographical and social constituency. The radical, reforming governments of 1945, 1964 and 1997 were anchored in broad-based progressive coalitions uniting a broad sweep of constituencies and classes across Britain. Labour is fundamentally a party of power, rather than a party of protest. We can only create a better society by being in government.

Moreover, a credible path back to power can only be found by listening carefully to what voters are telling us. This is not to argue that we should just replace principles and policymaking with focus groups, slavishly pursuing the ‘median’ voter by shifting ‘rightwards’ on issues such as welfare and immigration. Until we hear what voters are saying and relate their aspirations and insecurities to traditional Labour values anchored in solidarity, community, and the equal worth of all, the party will never reassemble a successful election-winning coalition.

Labour clubs based around our universities have a major role to play, both in developing the new ideas that the left needs in a world of rapid and far-reaching change, and even more crucially, campaigning on the ground for victory. Labour has always been fortunate to have well organised and active clubs in towns such as Reading, Exeter, Canterbury, Bristol and Southampton – located in, or close to, marginal seats that the party has to win to be sure of a general election victory in 2015. Their role next time around will be crucial, as will Labour Students moving in from other areas of the country to campaign in our key marginals. Labour Students are a crucial part of the ‘ground campaign’ on which general election victories are built.

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Patrick Diamond is senior research fellow at Policy Network and a councillor in the London borough of Southwark. He tweets @PatrickDiamond1