Watson sets out own Euro elections strategy at Future Britain Group meeting

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson set out his own proposed strategy for Labour’s European elections campaign at the second meeting of his new Future Britain Group tonight.

Introducing the evening event in parliament, attended by 80 MPs and peers, the frontbencher suggested that Labour should frame its campaign as an explicit challenge to Nigel Farage, Tommy Robinson and the far right.

Attendees also heard from YouGov’s Marcus Roberts, a former Labour strategist, who presented data on the local elections that took place last week, the forthcoming European elections on May 23rd and the latest voting intentions for Westminster.

They were informed that of the 40% who voted Labour in 2017, 71% would vote Labour again, a combined 9% would vote for the Tories or UKIP or the Brexit Party, and a total of 18% would vote for the Lib Dems or Greens or Change UK.

The data showed Labour ahead in a recent YouGov poll, though only by 3%. One Labour MP at the meeting told LabourList that the presentation was “very interesting” but showed a “worrying loss of working people” [among those intending to vote Labour].

Aside from discussions around Labour’s recent electoral performance and future prospects, the Future Britain Group focussed on the rise of the far right and importance of tackling the politics of Farage.

Watson criticised Labour’s Brexit policy, noting that “there are Labour supporters of both Brexit and Remain who are disappointed with our current position”. He suggested that it could depress turnout, although Labour insiders say other data analysis has found that the local elections saw no “major Brexit backlash”.

Opening the meeting, Watson said: “Since we last met we’ve had a set of local elections and are already well into the campaign for another set.

“It didn’t really come as a surprise that we’d have to partake in the European elections, and neither did the announcement in early April that Nigel Farage would be setting up a new party to be an outlet for all the pro-Brexit, anti-establishment feeling that is clearly present in some parts of the country.

“Part of the populism rearing its head of late is the ugly spectre of the far right, that Labour has a long history of fighting in local battles. With people like Stephen Yaxley Lennon now standing for national election, the scale of that fight needs to grow.

“Whether we like it or not, the vote on 23rd May is now a vote for or against the politics of Nigel Farage. Whatever the different views on the response to the referendum in the room, these European elections are being seen and will be interpreted as pro or anti the Farage view of the country.

“That gives us something to fight for. A vote for Labour is a vote against Farage and the politics that he and his Tory fellow travellers represent. This politics must not win and a vote for Labour is critical to that task.

“I know there are Labour supporters of both Brexit and Remain who are disappointed with our current position and I’ve heard too many times for my liking that people are thinking of staying at home.

“It is our job to make sure that they go out and exercise their franchise – we need to be clear that staying at home only helps Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson.”