Labour Values: How to reconnect and become a mass participation movement

By Andy Hull

The challenges at the start of this century – global recession, climate change, distrust in politics – demand a progressive response. But we will only ensure that the future is shaped by our values if our primary vehicle for change – the Labour Party – itself responds and changes.

The party now needs to:

* become a mass participation progressive movement

* empower members, activists, and supporters with the tools and resources to transform their communities

* invest authority in the people and groups that deliver this change

A mass participation progressive movement

If Labour really is to be the party of the many and not the few, the ‘many’ need to be at the centre of it. This means a more plural, social movement which acts as a permanent campaign at the centre of activity in local communities. We need to expand the number of local groups engaged in our movement, such as unions and faith and community groups, and to increase and diversify the pool of people that Labour can draw on at every level. Labour needs to be about community campaigning first and foremost – the party should be delivering change at the local and national level, whether or not it is in power.

We need to remember that it is face-to-face contact with our neighbours that makes for successful politics and delivers results. That means re-connecting with them, not just leafleting them. It means being visible and alive in our communities, not just gathering Voter ID. It means knowing what we have to offer – what’s in it for them – when we knock on somebody’s door. Building authentic relationships directly with people ensures that the party remains relevant, cuts through the media noise and can withstand the attacks of those who would see us fail.

Empower members, activists and supporters with the tools and resources to transform their communities

The party should value all its members and see them as its future. This means more and better engagement with our activists and supporters so they feel valued and empowered to make change happen locally.

A new approach should be more centred on the interests, needs and backgrounds of potential supporters and members. That means providing a much greater variety of ways for people to engage with the party on their own terms, and in the ways that suit and work for them. For example, people should be able to engage with the party where they work, as well as where they live, and through thematic networks as well as geographic ones.

A more engaged and active membership needs to be more involved in the party’s decision-making at all levels. Our people need to feel they have a stake and a say. We should encourage more ‘all member’ meetings to take important decisions at the local level. We should seriously explore changing how we select our candidates. We should give priority to proposals that are backed by strong community support. And we should ensure that the way we make decisions about policy, strategy and leadership is transparent and democratic.

Invest authority in the people and groups that deliver this change

New Labour’s success was sometimes reliant on a command-and-control operation managed from the centre. Policies have often been produced, like a rabbit from a hat, with little consultation of the membership or its democratic bodies. Up and down the country, members feel that their voice has not been heard on a wide range of issues.

The 2010 election campaign, with its emphasis on ‘word of mouth’ and the use of diffuse tools like the online phone bank, has ceded some control back to local parties and membership. But there is still a long way to go.

We need a more dispersed and open structure within the party to allow greater dissent and debate and provide incentives for innovative, locally-focused activism.

We must reform the party if we want to transform politics. The time has come for Labour to show what and whom it values.

Please visit the Labour Values website, sign up and help us shape the future of our movement.