The Labour Party faces a vital choice in the current leadership election. It is a choice that is vital for the future of the Party itself, but also vital for the whole country.

It is not just about choosing a leader but someone who could be Prime Minister in 2020. As Andy embarks on a two day visit to Scotland, I believe there are six key reasons why Andy Burnham is the right choice:

1. He can unite the Labour Party. I want the Labour Party to win next time. The campaigning will be hard, and we cannot afford to have half of the party without their heart in the campaign. Andy knows how to appeal to people who swing left without alienating those who swing right.

2. He can win a General Election. This is not a competition about who can best oppose, it’s a competition about who can best govern. If you want to just ‘oppose’, or ‘send a message,’ join a pressure group. Labour are a political party: they exist to win power then use it to tip society in favour of the underdog. Andy can do that.

3. He can reach out. This campaign is a conversation amongst the politically engaged. But the winner must speak to those who’d rather be on the beach or watching the Rugby World Cup. If you pay rent, run a business or want to start one, Andy has something to say to you.

4. He can fix the housing crisis. Britain is becoming a society of hard pressed renters. The test of whether a politician is serious about doing something about this is pretty straightforward: ask them how they are going to build more houses. If you’re a tenant, the only way your rent is going to stabilise is if we build enough houses across the country. There is only one institution which can build enough, fast enough, to make a serious dent in rents and stabilise prices: government. In particular, local government, which can stay in touch with what local people need and want more easily. Andy has explained how he'd make that happen. If you think the housing crisis is bad now, imagine how bad it will be after ten more years of Tory government. That’s why I’m not taking the risk of electing a candidate who might not be able to win.

5. He can appeal to business. One of their consistent complaints is how hard it is to find employees who have the right skills. A recent CBI survey found that this was a problem for more than half of businesses in the survey: they say they are facing a ‘skills emergency.’ Germany solved this problem years ago by giving businesses more of a say in how government funding for training is spent, so that the courses your taxes pay for teach the skills businesses need. Andy will do that, and ensure technical education has the same status as higher education - and he can win an election to make it happen.

6. He has ambition. Andy is spot on in arguing that we need to confront five modern evils in society: debt, insecurity, inequality, climate change and fear of old age. This needs big new ideas - Andy has the ambition to take this on, the appeal to win power, and the experience to change the country for the better.

Dr Azeem Ibrahim is a Glasgow-born expert in strategic policy development