With the Tories ahead in the polls, we have to realise there’s no such thing as a safe Labour seat

By Naz Sarkar

With the Tories ahead in the polls, the Labour movement is starting to realise that there is no such thing as a safe Labour seat.

In 1997 huge Tory majorities were decimated and a whole generation of Labour candidates swept to power. Now Labour MPs and PPCs are starting to realise that even if they are sitting on majorities of over 5,000 they need to take action and prioritise meetings in their constituencies over ministerial aspiration and House of Commons activity.

And the irony is, it is only this sort of realisation that will make sure that we win a historic forth term.

The Tories, smelling blood, are mobilising their Ashcroft millions in target seats up and down the country. They are pumping out often centrally produced surveys jumping on the Liberal Democrat band wagon of breaking a paving slab and then having a picture taken beside it.

But with effective organisation we can definitely beat them. In 2005 I was lucky enough to be part of Joan Ryan’s campaign team in Enfield North. We went out every weekend and had a targeted number of voters that we had to speak to before we finished campaigning.

Joan made sure she held regular coffee meetings and avoided what she termed the “Town Hall merry go round” where she got to speak to same old dignitories (mostly Tory) at numerous civic events. There is always and opportunity cost to time spent in civic meetings. And playing the numbers game the more voters you meet the more you are likely to sway the part of the electorate that is dispassionate about politics and undecided about who they are going to vote for at the next election.

Being part of Joan’s campaign was inspiring because on the campaign trail it felt as though this is what politics should really be about. Many politicians of all political colours and at all levels claim to speak for their constituents. Only those that regularly test the opinion in their constituencies can add validity to that claim.

Over the weekend I am going out campaigning with a sitting Labour MP with a 5,000 majority. But he’s not complacent. He has been active in a campaign surrounding a local planning application and has organised a program of coffee mornings with pensioners in his consituency. Despite holding ministerial office it is clear where his priorities lie.

And if Labour MPs and PPCs rise to the challenge of engaging with their electorate then not only will we stand to win the next election but we will be significantly rejuvenated in government.