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Written by political strategist at BCW Communications and former political secretary to Tony Blair
A paradox plagues British politics. Labor is consistently ahead and dominant in opinion polls, leading the ruling Conservatives by an average of 20 percentage points. However, voter focus groups were unanimous in saying they had no idea what Labor’s policies were or what leader Sir Keir Starmer stood for. How is this going?
An obvious but glib answer from Labour: “Imagine how popular we will be when people finally hear about our policies!” A much better and more productive response would be to question this contradiction.
In a way, Starmer is a victim of his own success. He has set himself the clear and urgent task of taking over as party leader after Labor suffered its worst defeat in almost a century. First, a clear break with Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure to root out anti-Semitism at all levels of the Labor Party. Those tasks have been accomplished – Corbyn has become an independent MP and is barred from running as a Labor candidate at the next election.
Then comes the second phase of Labor’s recovery: informing the country of the changes the party will bring. Yet since its defeat in 2019, Labor has made hundreds of announcements, large and small, but the defining meaning – “vibe” – is one of caution rather than vision.
This position is understandable. Loss aversion is one of the most powerful forces in the human psyche. Who wants to jeopardize their poll lead? Labor has won an overwhelming majority from the opposition only twice in its history, so the stakes are high. As expected. Although shadow cabinet members have only a handful of advisers to support them, the party is being scrutinized as if it had entered government – unlike those in power who have half a million civil servants at their disposal.
It’s not fair, but if you think politics is fair, like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, you have been misled. When a country demands change, it is the leadership’s responsibility to meet their needs.
No voter doubts the scale of the challenge Britain faces. After being hit by the global financial crisis, Brexit, the pandemic and now inflation, voters don’t need to believe that. What they fear is lack of ambition. Starmer needs to swing.
A great political party must have a great cause. There is no greater cause than to restore our great country. Of course, this means token policies such as a VAT on private school fees to finance investment in state-sector education, and changes to the taxation of non-residents to pay for the recruitment of more nurses. But it also means — go big or go home.
If you can’t be Tony Blair, who was able to spend the proceeds of his inherited economic growth with Gordon Brown, then be Clement Attlee: The post-war Labor leader has done nothing more than lay the groundwork for a “New Jerusalem”.
That doesn’t mean new ideas — they’re already there. Labour’s industrial strategy aims to create jobs and permanently reduce household costs by decarbonizing the UK economy. But when Labor calls it a “Green Prosperity Plan” the message is not heard – when voters are told something is “green” they hear “good intentions” at best, but usually they listen Arrived is “tax increase”.
In politics, some problems must be faced squarely. There is no future without addressing the climate crisis. Transition is inevitable. The question is how these changes will affect the public. This is where Labor has to ask boldly: “Who do you trust to make the right changes for our country – and make those changes fair for working people?” 44%, while the government’s support rate is only 24%.
None of the opposition parties has been able to provide the detailed updated plans needed to reverse the cumulative impact of the past four Conservative governments and their five prime ministers. There are still many challenges ahead. Families and communities across the country are living in deep poverty. Sewage is pumped into rivers and beaches. The school had to cut teaching assistants and is now evacuating because of the dangers posed by the crumbling building. Hospital waiting lists run into the millions, with seniors living with dementia waiting 50 days to be placed in a nursing home.
Many areas of national life have reached the limits of tinkering. Change will be a collective effort. But hope, an essential element of great political leadership, will accomplish nothing without proud and confident leadership.
As a devoted football fan, Starmer knows the “You only sing when you win!” taunt. He won – why didn’t he lead the singing?
Svlook
