Jon Trickett: Let’s use May 5 as a springboard to a Commons majority in 2020

As Labour’s election co-ordinator, I know how important it is to have a strong campaigning message across the country.

That’s why I’ve agreed with Jeremy that we are fighting these elections on the theme of “standing up, not standing by”. Our approach is an economy that works for all, with public services protected. The Tories on the other hand, as we have seen in the Budget, won’t stand up for working people.

Our campaign will focus on four key themes: Standing up for a fairer economy that works for all; standing up for families struggling to get on the housing ladder; standing up for safer communities and standing up for the NHS. The whole Shadow Cabinet will be saying much more about this between now and 5 May.

It is equally important to have a strong campaigning party on the ground. Labour has thousands of new members since Jeremy became leader and we are now the largest political party. This can make all the difference in May.

There are now just 31 days to go until voters across the whole of Britain go to the polls. Unusually, these mid-term elections allow every voter in Britain to have a vote. 

Labour will be campaigning in the Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly elections, for the London assembly, for 40 police and crime commissioners, for the Mayors of London, Bristol, Salford and Liverpool and for seats in 124 English councils. I am also keeping a very close watch on the two extremely important parliamentary by-elections, which also take place on May 5.

We have a massive task in front of us; but also a big opportunity.

Coming so soon after what was a disappointing result in 2015, Labour is rebuilding with a focus on the 2020 General Election.

That is why it is so crucial that we get our parliamentary candidates elected in Sheffield Brightside, and Ogmore. There is also huge power at stake in the four mayoral elections. Much attention will no doubt focus on London, where we have an excellent candidate and a brilliant campaign, but this is by no means an easy task.

In London, the Tories have won the last two London mayoral elections. All the indications point to this being a very close election. But it is essential that we do win. As has been widely noticed, the Tory campaign has been negative and divisive.

And let’s not forget the important mayoral contests in Liverpool, Bristol and Salford, where Labour mayors would make such a difference to local communities.

In Scotland, Wales and in local government, Labour will fight tooth and nail for every vote. Councils are facing ever steeper cuts; Osborne’s Budget attempted to take money from the disabled to give to the richest people in society, and now Britain’s steel industry is being abandoned by the Tories.

The English council seats we are contesting this year were last fought in 2012. The results then were Labour’s best in the local elections since those that took place in 2001 on the same day as Blair’s second landslide election.

In Britain, politics has become much more fragmented since 2012 with the continued rise of UKIP and nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales.

At the end of the day, we should be looking for Labour to advance on the 2015 election results, where we finished almost seven per cent points behind the Conservatives.

Wherever I go in the country to meet activists it is clear that you are up for the contest. I know that every one of you will be doing everything you can to secure Labour victories in 2016 and at each stage of our journey to the prize of a parliamentary majority in 2020. Labour’s strength is its membership.

Each one of us must weigh every single word and every single action with a single idea in mind: does it help us reach a parliamentary majority? So for all the work you have done so far, thank you. It is a big task, but I know we are up to it.

See you on the campaign trail.

Jon Trickett is Labour’s shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary and election co-ordinator.