The exposure of the Panama Papers elite shows why Labour must build a fairer society

Like many I’ve been saddened by the latest revelations in the Panama papers and the things some people will do to reduce their tax bill.  It’s an attitude to money I don’t understand – going out of your way to make sure it benefits only you, instead of giving back to the society which helped you succeed in the first place.  

I am proud to be a partner in a leading management consulting firm and proud of the contribution this allows me to make through taxation. And it also means I can donate to the party I’ve always supported.

I grew up in a Labour family in the North East; my grandmother was a Labour councillor and my great-grandmother a suffragette.  Whilst it did not affect my family directly, I saw the terrible damage done to communities by the miners’ strike and the painful death of other local industries.

I have done well – helped by my local comprehensive school, some amazing teachers, and a free university education – and I’ve always voted Labour. From my heart, because I believe that society is more than a collection of individuals, and that people like me should put back in by paying their taxes; and from my head, because I see that only Labour has the instinct for investment which will build the modern, productive, fair economy which we need.

Only by utilising the talents of all the people in our country – in an inclusive economy – will we succeed; and in my view Labour is best placed to make this happen.

I read Martin Taylor’s article last year, and it resonated because I have occasionally been viewed with suspicion because I’m better known in the Thousand Club than I am in my local CLP or on social media. This isn’t because I don’t understand the importance of activism; it was more because of the demands of a busy job and three young children.

Two election defeats in a row have made me want to do something more active. And, reflecting on my own relationship with the party, I wanted it to be something that could help us make better use of the extraordinary pool of skills and talents we have in the Labour movement.

So – a bit of trial and error later – I’m now chairing Labour People, a new network for Labour members with skills from the world beyond politics who would like to volunteer those skills within the Labour Party and wider family. We explicitly don’t take a policy position or work on organising, but are aiming to work with MPs, peers, socialist societies and others on the frontline who could use a little help, advice or training. This can be on anything, big or small, tactical or strategic; from commissioning a website to being more strategic in your communications to designing and running a recruitment process, and more.

Now, obviously this isn’t the first new “Labour” organisation to have launched recently. But Labour People is unique. We aim to work across the party – from left to right- to connect people who can help each other.  From each according to his ability, to each according to his need, you could say.

Our scope is as wide as the range of skills that’s out there – so we encourage anyone who would like a little help to get in touch – and potential volunteers to contact us too. You can see examples of some of our projects on our website.

The right will always have more money than the left, which makes it more important that we make better use of the talents of the people who support us.  In management consulting speak we would call this talent a “hidden asset” of the labour movement.

Labour People is my way of contributing to the party, and my belief is that whether we’re in power or not, the country deserves the strongest, most effective Labour party we can build together.  There will always be many different views in the Labour community, but we are united by common values and a common aspiration. We are all Labour People and by utilising the full range of what people can bring – from activism to money to skills – whatever their background, we can be stronger together.  

Nick Harrison is a Labour supporter and a senior partner at management consulting firm Oliver Wyman. All views expressed in this piece are personal.