Labour is stronger united – that’s why we founded Labour Future

Labour Future is a campaign group set up by a small team of dedicated and passionate Labour supporters. Our group is chaired by outstanding lifetime Labour member, supporter and substantial party donor John Mills. He is a bastion of Labour politics, having served as a Labour councillor for 35 years, stood for two parliamentary elections and led the Labour Euro Safeguards campaign. Mills was critical in stopping the UK, under Tony Blair, from joining the Euro, which would have been terrible for our economy.

We set up Labour Future with two core objectives: firstly to help unite the labour movement to a majority Labour government; secondly to develop economic policies to sustain that Labour government in power by rebalancing our economy for the many. We believe in pluralist politics. Some of us prefer a traditionally socialist agenda and others are more socially democratic, but somehow we find cohesion. We share ideas and debate them.

A breadth of ideas is what makes our country unique. Why, then, is having a broad group of Labour politicians and supporters a problem? Why should those who come from different backgrounds or have different ideas not be welcomed and cherished? We rightly demand our country treat those we welcome fairly and without judgment. Could we not extend this same respect to our fellow comrades? We must attempt to win arguments, hearts and minds. Can there not be discord with minutiae but agreement on principles? There is, and has to be, more that unites us than divides us.

This campaign was a huge success and the DWP made several concessions. They did not go far enough – our work is not complete and we can only take a small part of the credit – but it showed how working collectively, even in opposition, we could make real positive changes to people’s lives directly and immediately. Labour Future wants to do more of this. We want to work with all Labour shadow ministers, supporters and groups, together. This is our call to arms for our common purpose: to improve the lives of our voters.

But, before we can usher in the next socialist, industrial and technological revolution, the Labour Party must learn to believe in unity once more. We must learn to respect those we disagree with, and we must lead by example – debating, explaining, exploring and becoming truly collaborative, fully aware of the very best of who we are and the very worst of what we can be.

Our generation must defeat the Tory and neoliberal ruling classes. Failure to deliver a Jeremy Corbyn premiership at the next general election could seal impoverishment for millions of people that need our support now more than ever. How can we challenge our leadership repeatedly while the Tories are deporting British citizens based on the colour of their skin? How can we fight each other and claim our brand of politics is superior while our NHS collapses and our families depend on local food banks?

We cannot call ourselves a genuinely inclusive party if the Labour factions would prefer their rivals didn’t exist. Collaboration can be positive and often leads to innovation. Attempts to destroy any section of our party will likely destroy the whole thing.

We at Labour Future are proud that we spend our time working towards a collective purpose, ready for the next general election. Ready to take the fight back to the Tories and finally cross the finish line, with Jeremy proudly marching into Downing Street. We feel there should be a collective of Labour groups working towards one common goal.

By being united, open and respectful, we can showcase how Labour can win back power especially for all those who live in poverty or who struggle to make ends meet. We must continue to work tirelessly to avoid yet another general election loss to the Tories.

The Labour Party has been the greatest political driving force for social change in our country. At our very best we are simply unstoppable, at our worst we are just one word: unelectable. Unfortunately the latter seems to rule the day all too often. But it doesn’t have to be this way, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn we can and must deliver real and lasting socialist change.

As Andy Burnham recently said: “In terms of social progress, the labour and trade union movement has been behind every stride forward that we have made — free education, health and safety at work, free healthcare, equal pay, the minimum wage. The lesson for all of us is that when the Labour Party is united and walks in step with the trade union movement and has strong public support, then we succeed. We sometimes spend too much time debating our differences and not enough time on the things that unite us.”

For too many, this country cannot survive another Tory government. No matter what the cost to our sense and sensibilities; no matter how bitter compromise may taste. We must unite. If we fail to empower the people who need us the most, for nothing more than ideology and our internalised identity crisis, we may lose these voters forever.

Building Britain’s future requires first a Labour future – that is why I co-founded Labour Future.

Join our new and fast growing supporters group to help unite our party. We welcome everyone who identifies as Labour.

Michael O’Sullivan is co-founder of Labour Future.