Get Jeremy Corbyn to speak at least once a week – my 5 tips for winning the EU referendum

Most Labour activists spent last week wearing down their shoe leather and snatching their fingers from the jaws of over enthusiastic dogs. But will they do the same again in just six weeks’ time?

The votes of Labour supporters could decide whether Britain stays in the EU. Polls suggest that there are as many as six million Labour votes up for grabs for Remain. Labour activists, supported by a strong national campaign, are the people who will ensure that those people turn out.

Labour in for Britain, the party’s Remain campaign was initially fairly quiet, thanks to the early reticence of Jeremy Corbyn, the local elections, and tight resources. But recent research conducted by the Fabian Society and pollsters GQRR reveals that they must continue to ramp up their campaign activity. Only 56% of those who voted Labour in May 2015 told us that they are very likely to vote in the referendum, and there is a risk Labour supporters are still confused about what their party’s position is on the EU.

With the local elections now out of the way, Labour Remain supporters must leap out of the blocks and treat every day left like it is a general election campaign. Here are five tips for success.

1. Say it loud and say it proud

Some early polls showed that a significant proportion of the country didn’t know Labour’s position on the EU referendum. While recent interventions will have helped, there is a risk Labour supporters still don’t all yet know that Labour is recommending a Remain vote. Labour must take every opportunity possible to restate that fact. Jeremy Corbyn’s speech a few weeks ago was a good start, leading every news outlet to run a ‘Labour says Remain’ story. But Labour HQ – and Labour activists on the doorstep – need to repeat the message over and over again.

2. Jeremy Corbyn is key

The importance of Jeremy Corbyn to the Remain campaign cannot be understated. That’s because the evidence shows that the party leaders are a major influence when people decide how they’ll vote. And it is also because our poll shows he is the most trusted voice among Labour supporters by a considerable margin, well ahead of Alan Johnson. Corbyn needs to be out as much as possible for Labour Remain. A big media intervention at least every week should be his benchmark.

3. Make the progressive case

When constructing a case for the EU that resonates with Labour supporters, the first thing to bear in mind is that Labour supporters don’t massively differ from the population at large. They broadly prioritise the same key issues as the rest of the population, with 40% selecting immigration as one of their top three issues, and security and terrorism and control of laws also scoring well. The main distinguishing factor from the rest of the population is that Labour voters put a much greater emphasis on the importance of jobs.

Our research also shows that Remain campaigners must remember that left wing arguments about social solidarity have little impact, even with Labour voters. For example, just 14% of respondents selected ‘a social Europe’ as one of their top three issues. But, our research does show that there is the potential to build a more pragmatic progressive case, particularly on issues like workers’ rights, which test well amongst Labour voters. Labour Remain campaigners also have a responsibility to assuage concerns about the NHS. 48% of Labour supporters said they find Labour Leave arguments about TTIP and privatisation convincing.

4. Be Patriotic

One of the most concerning stats from our poll is that when we asked whether remaining or leaving would be better for ‘pride in Britain’, leave had an 8 point lead amongst Labour supporters. This threat can be blunted by ensuring that all Remain messaging is patriotic. When we tested a Remain statement which said you can be proudly British and support staying in the EU, against a Leave statement about standing up for Britain, the Remain statement led amongst Labour supporters by more than 20 points.

Labour Remainers must also remember the English dimension to the referendum campaign. Our poll shows that those who define themselves as English are significantly more likely than the total population to be planning to vote leave. With the erosion of Labour’s core vote, the threat of UKIP, and the vital importance for Labour of winning representation in England the Labour Party must try hard to not alienate labour Leave voters when they campaign.

5. Get out the vote

The scale on which Labour voters turn out to vote could decide this referendum, but there has not been a flurry of grassroots campaign activity so far. While local parties are required to ask questions on the doorstep about Europe, this hasn’t happened in lots of places and there has been little communication from HQ about what activists are expected to do in the campaign. Activity has been ramping up recently, and all the signs are that a big push is about to be unveiled. But the short timeframe means the Party will have to use all the tools at its disposal to get out the vote.

The first thing they should do is ensure that they make the most of targeting, using it to a level not previously tried by HQ. Labour’s traditional model of gathering voter ID, and then knocking up the vote, won’t work in this election because there hasn’t been time to gather enough data. The second thing Remain must do is build an activist base, and make sure it is enthused for the campaign ahead. This is where local Labour parties come in; they should start engaging members straight away. Finally, Labour HQ has a responsibility to deliver a strong air war. The speeches from Jeremy Corbyn and Alan Johnson are a start, and there has been an increasing number of interventions from senior politicians, but Labour’s frontbench should start treating this like a general election campaign, with a range of high profile visits to key areas.

Not only is this referendum crucial for Britain’s future, it also provides a massive opportunity to the Labour Party to speak to voters, to sound in touch, and to determine the future of the country from opposition. It is an opportunity the whole Labour Party should make the most of, from the grassroots up.

Olivia Bailey is Research Director at the Fabian Society. Her recent report on the EU referendum can be read here. You can buy a ticket for the upcoming Fabian Summer Conference, which will focus on the EU debate, here.