Open Labour unveils “Britain-boosting policy programs” in position paper

Open Labour has launched its “Britain-boosting policy programs” with a position paper setting out the group’s “vision for the UK” formed through “years of policy making, online and in-person conferences” and “dialogue with our membership”.

Published this morning, the 37-page document covers areas from health and social care and housing to internationalism and Labour Party reform. Open Labour has said the policies enclosed will allow people to live “freer, happier and healthier lives”.

Tessa Milligan described the position paper as an “alternative to the government-by-chaos” favoured by Boris Johnson, arguing that his “slurry of headline-grabbing, substance-free slogans usually fizzle out on contact with reality”.

The chair of Open Labour said “Johnson’s is a government of incompetence and chaos and the novelty’s long worn off”, but added: “Replace the leader, and the song remains the same. The Tories offer little more than staying in power for power’s sake, a tired status quo with no ambition for the UK.”

Open Labour has called for childcare and parental support to be “levelled up as a matter of urgency” with the restoration of Sure Start provision to pre-2010 levels, as well as a “sustained recruitment programme” of NHS and social care workers, teachers, nursery staff, construction workers and others in “vital areas”.

The ‘soft-left’ group said the UK needs a “better work-life balance for all workers” with a right to flexible working, as proposed by the TUC, alongside “radical reforms” to the housing market including boosting supply, action on rogue landlords, capping rents and ensuring availability of affordable homes.

“We offer an alternative to boost Britain and offer real hope for the future. Any modern government should value the health, happiness and security of its citizens above all else. Those qualities go hand-in-hand with our economic success and international reputation,” Milligan said this morning.

“The only way we can achieve this is with a Labour government, and one which is prepared to fight for the bold, ambitious upgrades needed to propel Britain forwards and give people security and freedom over their own lives. A country with economic security, dignity and quality of life in every nation and region.”

Open Labour said the “next phase of attack” for Labour requires “greater confidence in our party’s values”, urging the party to “resist taking sides between groups of voters, playing into the identity tests used to sow division and culture war”.

Its policy position paper also suggested a number of internal reforms for the party, including calling for the repeal of rules that “give [the national executive committee] and the regional executive committee control of longlisting and put it back in the hands of local parties”.

Labour’s governing body approved guidance in January that removed longlisting powers from Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs), as well as scrapping the automatic right of affiliated organisations – such as trade unions – to guarantee a place on longlists for their preferred candidates.

The paper also said Open Labour stands for a “commitment to ensure all CLPs without a Labour MP have a proper selection process to choose their parliamentary candidate in the next elections”.