Election ‘fight of our lives’ — Byrne

SPECIAL guest . . . Phil Woolas and Liam Byrne (front, centre) with (from left) Vita Field, Joan Woodfine, Maureen Price, Julia Ruddy, Chris Ruddy , Adrian Alexander, Peter Dean and John Battye

One of the Government’s top ministers warned the next general election would be “the fight of our lives.”

Liam Byrne, chief secretary to the Treasury, made the prediction at a dinner where he was a guest of Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth at Talking Point Conference and Exhibition Centre in Scouthead.

Mr Byrne said: “Britain has faced its worst ever recession and we have come through the storm in one piece. We can be proud of our achievements with building new hospitals and fewer people unemployed than many other Western countries.

“I am proud, but not satisfied going into the next election. The next election will be the fight of our lives. Over the last 10 years, the world has grown faster than ever before and now there is a larger shift to a different kind of world.

“There are extraordinary opportunities for our country but we have to invest in our education system.

“Labour has to be the party of the common cause.