Labour warned against complacency in South

TONY BLAIR will be warned by party activists today that Labour cannot be complacent over winning more votes in the South at the next general election, writes Colin Brown.

A report by modernisers in the Labour Co-ordinating Committee - a network of moderate constituency activists - says Labour could fail to make the breakthrough unless it makes a commitment to hold a referendum on electoral reform. Fears about the party's failure to consolidate its vote under the first-past- the-post system are raised in the report to a conference in Southampton on winning southern seats. It will be attended by Robin Cook, the most senior member of the Shadow Cabinet in favour of proportional representation.

The document says: 'This one policy on its own could well attract the votes of many current Liberal Democrat supporters.' It also calls for Labour explicitly to propose higher taxes on those earning more than pounds 60,000 a year.