LabourList readers show that grassroots are upbeat going into summer break

Grassroots Labour supporters are in high spirits, if this week’s LabourList survey is anything to go by. We asked readers if they liked what they had heard about last weekend’s National Policy Forum (NPF) conference in Milton Keynes – and almost 60% of people said yes.

Just over 20% of people were unhappy with how the NPF had gone, while just under 20% were not sure.

Miliband’s meeting with Obama on Monday told a similar story: a little over 70% of respondents thought that the Labour leader’s trip to DC had proved worth it, with less than a third disagreeing.

Last week, Labour peer Charlie Falconer brought forward a bill to the House of Lords proposing that assisted dying be legalised. Over 70% of you support the idea in some form. And once broken down, this support falls into two camps – 40% back the bill as it is, while 30% support it in principle but would like to see further safeguards. One in four are opposed, while 5% have not formed an opinion on the matter.

What this all seems to show is that there is a feeling of unity and content within the Labour Party as we go into this final summer recess before the election. On policy, on strategy and on what our parliamentarians are putting forward, Labour supporters are pretty pleased. After a quiet summer break last year, when Labour received some flak for failing to set any clear policy agenda, it seems the people at grassroots are optimistic about where we are at the beginning of this summer.

With Miliband expected to launch Labour’s summer campaign over the coming days, it is good to know that he starts with a steady footing. With a policy platform to build on that people are pleased with, and with a hard-to-orchestrate photo-op that has gone down well, Miliband can consider the first week out of Westminster a success. It’s a start: now he just needs to keep it going.