The Labour Party must be more than just an electioneering party

By Sam Murphy

“We should be the people not just campaigning at elections but campaigning in every town, every city and every village for the things that matter to people there – because that’s the best way we have of reconnecting with people.”

Those were Ed Miliband’s words at a recent Q&A session at Labour Party conference.

The Labour Party has lost its covenant with the people. It has lost the public relationship that is imperative to win elections – but more importantly to be the real party of the people. The public does not trust the Labour Party anymore and this can only be cured when we create better relational power between the party and our communities.

As an institution we have been more concerned about the spelling of names in the minutes than the stories and experiences which bind us together. Our party was born out of civil society and now it needs to move back into communities, away from the bureaucratic institution it has become. The Labour party has to trust its membership again but that trust needs to be reciprocated with a hunger from local parties, to work together and build relational power with other institutions.

This change has already began. Movement for Change in a very short space of time has achieved a huge amount – training over 1000 community organisers in four months – however it will take much longer to reorganise the party into a movement again. The party must look to work together with friends in the local mosque, synagogue and trade union branch.

This does not mean moving to the left, it means moving back into the communities that created the Labour Party. It means being a party of action for local people in local areas, not just a meeting point for its members.