The Northern Echo continues its coverage of the Labour leadership campaign with Yvette Cooper claiming the Government’s recent promises to the North of England have already been broken

IT'S been less than four months since David Cameron began his second term as Prime Minister and already countless promises to the north have been broken. From cutting child benefit and tax credits to going back on their pledges to extend rail electrification, build more affordable homes and cap social care charges, families in the North-East and Yorkshire and across the country will bear the brunt of the Tories' ideological 40 per cent.

In the Yorkshire and Humber region alone, 149 Sure Start centres - one of Labour's proudest achievements in government, which made a real difference to the lives of countless children and families - are under threat. This isn't about getting the deficit down or economic policy, its a deliberate Conservative ideological attempt to shrink our public services as far as possible, because they don't believe in them.

These are the stark consequences of our loss in May - and a warning of things to come unless Labour is in a position to win again in 2020. And there is so much at stake. If we're to win back the support of those voters who felt unable to put their trust in us at the 2015 election, we need a radical and credible vision for the future - one rooted in our Labour values and principles.

For a start, that means Labour has to campaign for more good jobs here in the North-East and Yorkshire. Too many young people are stuck in low paid work, and we've lost our manufacturing strength. I want Britain to double its investment in research and development, and boost apprenticeships so we get two million more hi-tech manufacturing jobs.

I want to see a revolution in childcare - like the Scandinavian universal free childcare system – making work fit around families and not the other way around. I'd pay for it by stopping the marriage tax break, which doesn't help most families, and putting that help into childcare instead. And we need to extend Sure Start to give all kids the best start in life, with a plan to end child poverty in a generation.

I want to build more homes and see the ambition of previous Labour governments reignited. For too long governments have ducked the issue of house-building. We should be building 300,000 new homes a year - a bolder plan. And we need to keep campaigning for equality so no one is held back by poverty or prejudice. I know I had far more chances in life than my mum and my grandma because of Labour's campaign for women's equality - though we have never elected a woman leader of the Labour party.

But most of all, I want to see a united Labour Party that's strong enough to stand up for people across the country, ready to take on the Tories from day one and ready to win again in five years' time. I’ve argued from the start we shouldn’t swallow the Tories myths about Labour’s public spending. It wasn’t too many teachers, nurses or doctors that caused global banks to go bust. The debt and deficit need to come down. But we should never sign up to George Osborne’s 40 per cent cuts – that’s way beyond what is needed to bring borrowing down and puts vital services like Sure Start in grave danger.

We must have the confidence to set out an alternative Labour plan that gets the deficit down in a fair and steady way, boosts growth and jobs and protects our public services too.

But the truth is that we won't be able to make a real difference to the lives of all those who are depending on us unless we can be a credible party of government. Shouting from the sidelines or going back to the 1980s isn't good enough and would let too many people down.

I believe in the solidarity of our party just as I believe in the solidarity of communities, like the constituency I represent here in Yorkshire. Our party has to stand together to change the country. Britain needs a Labour government more than ever. We cannot let the people who are depending on us down again. It's our responsibility to fight for their - and our - future.