LabourList Editorial: Why we fight

By Mark Ferguson, Maya Goodfellow, Conor Pope, Emma Burnell and Stefan Stern 

Today is election day. And today Labour goes into battle.

The Labour Party is not a staid, safe and secure party ensconced in Westminster. It is not enshrined in a single man or woman. It is not hidden away behind bricks and mortar. It is not a piece of writing on a card, a book of rules or a group of MPs in parliament.

The Labour Party is a movement – perhaps the greatest and most successful movement for justice and social change that Britain has ever known. It is rooted in the communities of Britain, woven into the tapestry of our towns and cities, the lifeblood that holds together our villages and the energy that inspires change in our communities. Today it takes to the streets of Britain, from suburban cul-de-sac to pit village, from urban high rise to rural cottage. From all the corners of our United Kingdom to fight and win not for Labour, but for the British people.

Why do we fight?

For a better Britain. For decent work and decent pay for everyone who can work. For affordable homes in which we can be safe and secure, live with loved ones and raise families. For supporting those most in need. For building a country, an economy and a society where everyone has a shot at acheiving their goals, regardless of background, gender, race or religion.

And this time we fight specific wrongs in our society too. The bedroom tax, the rise of the food bank, immoral zero-hours contracts, the housing crisis and an existential threat to the NHS.

The Labour Party’s cause is not about a single election, a single seat or a single vote. It is a historic mission to reshape the nation for the benefit of the many not the few. It is about bringing about a society, not a single electoral result. But the purpose of a political party is to win elections, organise in Parliament and deliver change.

Today Labour – this army of activists, members, supporters and voters – has a chance to deliver that. It’s why so many will go to polling stations today, knock on doors, ferry neighbours – anything to get as many people as possible to mark a cross against the Labour candidate’s name, to bring about some of that change we badly need.

And that’s why we fight.

Mark Ferguson – Editor
Maya Goodfellow – Staff Writer
Conor Pope – Staff Writer
Emma Burnell – Contributing Editor
Stefan Stern – Contributing Editor