In the second of the Fabian Society's Labour Leadership essays, Ed Balls argues that during the recent election campaign the party was lacking in courage and that voters sensed it.

"By 2010 the clear message from the electorate was that, while people still supported our values, they thought we were unclear about them, that we were sometimes out of touch and that we no longer championed a fair society... It was also a failure of communication and courage. In the desire to be credible - in the eyes of some in the press - the Government lost its radical edge."

You can read Ed Balls's essay here.