Not Progressive Labour, Newer Labour or even New Labour. Just Labour, thanks

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

There’s been a reasonable amount of chatter/consternation today about alleged plans to change the name of the Labour Party. A report by Kevin Maguire of the Mirror was picked up on the this morning and led to predictable levels of hair-rending.

Let’s be serious though, the name of the Labour Party is not about to change.

It’s reasonable to ask what comes after New Labour – although in most significant ways New Labour was put to bed long ago – but it’s important to remember that throughout the New Labour years, the name of the party never changed. New Labour was branding – a slogan even – that evolved into (in ideological terms) whatever Tony Blair agrees with. At no point was it the name of the party that so many of us were and are members of. Our membership cards say “The Labour Party”. Regardless of any so-called re-branding that may (or may not) take place, that will still be the case.

The name of our party should be – and will remain – The Labour Party. Not Progressive Labour, Newer Labour or even New Labour. Just Labour, thanks. That’s the party I joined. And that’s the one I want to be a member of.

On a day when the government have busied themselves with cutting legal aid and ducked out of the chance to stop loan sharks ripping off the poor, there are more important things to concern ourselves with than branding. Hopefully the leadership understands that.