If we want to create a broader movement, we have to change our culture

I think a lot of people in the Labour Party would agree that the party is strongest when it is a broad movement. Not just in terms of being a broad church politically, but in terms of being a movement which brings in people from a wide variety of backgrounds, in terms of race, gender and sexuality, in terms of age, in terms of class background, but also, crucially, which involves people who aren’t obsessed with politics, who have careers and lives and interests outside of politics, but support Labour and want to spend a weekend or two helping out their local party. But too often the culture of the party drives “normal” people away. And if we truly want to create a broader movement we need to change our culture.

A friend of mine recently said to me that she didn’t feel it was possible to “have a job and be involved in the Labour Party”. Of course, everyone’s experience of being involved in the party is very different, and not everyone feels this way, but far too many do. We’re supposed to be the party of labour, yet we quite literally ask people to put the party before their jobs on quite a regular basis.

There are some practical changes that a lot of local parties could make; in some areas, too many events are hosted during the day when people are at work and often events aren’t accessible for those who need to bring their children along.

But we also need to change the way we treat people. Too often our attitude towards our members is something along the lines of “why did you only come and campaign two weekends this month? And only on Saturday and not Sunday?”. No charity would dream of treating its volunteers the way the Labour Party often does. But because of some strange idea that our political cause should come above and beyond, well, anything else, we often chastise people for not doing enough, rather than thanking them for what they do do.

And while the hardened political hacks among us might be able to roll with the punches, for someone for who Labour is far from the most important part of their lives this kind of attitude just makes it feel like it’s really not worth getting involved.

And we need to allow people to be involved on an occasional, casual basis, without letting the Labour Party take over their lives. We all know how it goes; you turn up to one canvassing session or one meeting and before too long you’ve been roped into being CLP secretary, expected to go out campaigning every evening and to spend your lunch break at campaign stunts. Your social life quickly becomes reduced to a drink in the pub after a canvassing session. And for too many people, this prospect is just too daunting. Of course, any good organiser knows that you don’t let an activist leave a campaigning session without asking them when they can come back next. But ask them when they are next free; don’t instruct them to turn up same time again next week.

And don’t criticise them when they can’t come along; thank them when they do. Don’t expect them to run for positions if that’s not their thing, or even come to meetings. Don’t pressure them into doorknocking before they feel comfortable with it. Let people be involved on their own terms, and give as much or as little time as they want. Because otherwise we’re never going to attract the kind of “normal”, working people which we claim to be the party of.