A bit of serious internal democracy, and a sense of crisis, is long overdue for Labour.

There are many questions Labour needs to ask of itself, but why it lost the election is not actually at the top of the agenda. These things happen in a multi party democracy. And as a rule, a party’s share of the vote slides lower the longer it has been in power.

What matters then, is not simply whether a party can continually win elections, but whether it can decisively change the character of society while in office. Over the past decade the key line of self-justification articulated by New Labour loyalists has approximated to Kruschev’s famous dictum that “socialism must live, its not worth dying beautifully”. In other words, its all very well being pure in opposition, but its far better to be in power and actually making a difference to people’s lives.

Yet what is patently obvious, is that staying in power is not the same as getting things done. In just 6 years Clement Atlee permanently transformed Britain for the better. By contrast New Labour, for all its very real gains, has spent 13 years achieving a less equal society. As its third parliament ended old tory anti-union laws were being used to ban strikes. Privatisation had moved forwards not backwards. And in so many ways, if the Tories were to gain power tomorrow, they could pick up where they left off. The real tragedy for Labour is not that they came second at this election. It is the fact that despite holding power for as long as thatcher, it has delivered no fundamental shift in our society comparable to Thatcherism.

Under these circumstances, we cannot allow the same old coterie of New Labourites – whether in the “Brownite” or “Blairite” camps – to continue passing the ball between them. Those of us in the Labour party must begin a serious debate – a struggle even – about what the party is about and how it aims to seriously change society. The spectre of perpetual powerless – that arose out of the 80s – has faded. Even the Labour establishment, with its talk of putting “clear red water” between Labour and the Tories in the run up to the election, have recognised that rushing to the centre is not axiomatic to winning power.

And if a bit of serious internal democracy is long over, then its first dose may come when Labour chooses its new leader. Whatever else, this must not be a coronation. And whatever else, the new leader must not be chosen in negotiation with the Lib Dems. And absolutely we must push the debate beyond the media appointed front runners. And if nothing else, get on facebook and join the campaign to make John Mcdonnell leader.