The government must rekindle New Labour's original election winning coalition if it is to hold onto power, John Denham argued in a lecture to the Fabian Society.

"In 2008 we have to revive every part of the coalition.  From the lifelong Labour voters to the young voters who have never voted for us but whose support we need."

"Nothing is more pointless than a debate about which group of voters we want."

He also admitted that the government must be more candid about its failings if it is to maintain the voters' trust:

"If you don't talk increasingly openly about the things that haven't gone right yet, people tend not to give you credit for the things that have," he said.

As the only Cabinet Member representing a southern English seat, Denham continues to believe that the geographical and political south should be at the heart of Labour's strategy.

"In the south, we only win with the support from a wide spread of voters.  We only win if we get the core Labour votes, the new Labour voters and the 'I'm not really Labour' votes," he said.

But Labour's poor showing in the local elections highlights the erosion of New Labour's winning coalition over the years, and Denham added his voice to calls for a move away from a "triangulation" strategy that, in seeking to please all of the people all of the time, leaves many voters cold.

"For several years we have tailored different messages to different people, at the cost of a vision of society that unites voters from different backgrounds."

"It has simply left too many confused about what we stand for."

Therefore Denham is leading a drive to refresh New Labour.  New Labour's original goals still stand - "fairness and opportunity; rights balanced by clear responsibilities; economic prosperity and social justice" - but they must be re-imagined for new times.

"Our story needs re-telling for the 21st century.  We need a single compelling story that every voter can recognise.  Voters won't forgive us for apparently not understanding what is happening in their lives."

For Denham this new approach must be built on a new conception of fairness for the Left, based on "do I get a fair return for what I put in."

"We need a fair society in which hard work is rewarded."

The challenge for government is "to show we can bring these values to life in a competitive global economy; to show we can make them work when we have to tackle climate change, and where we can expect ever more international pressures."

He stressed the role of government in achieving these ends - in delivering work and the chance to progress by his department's investment in skills; through providing with high quality public services that which citizens can't provide for themselves; by improving access to good quality housing; and ensuring "that every pound works as hard for the taxpayer who earned it as possible."

"Taken together," he declared, "we can and should make a powerful case for fairness that reflects effort; and for the role of a Labour government in creating it."

Denham emphasised his theme of "southern comfort" and his belief that "every single one of these issues resonates in the geographical south and the political south.  Practical policies, shaped by Labour values, let us deliver prosperity and fairness."

And he criticised the Conservatives for lacking "the commitment to invest" and threatening the hard won prosperity that Labour has delivered to the south.

"They lack the ambition to make sure Britain can match up to a changing world and make the changes we have to make."

"And they simply do not recognise that in all these areas, what government does actually matters."

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