New head of Labour Together urges party to develop “coherent narrative”

The new head of Labour Together has urged the party to develop a “coherent narrative” about the challenges facing the UK and how Labour would respond, acknowledging that the party has in the past lost its “laser-sharp focus on the voter”.

Josh Simons, the new director of the Labour Together activist network, argued that Labour has “so much work to do” to translate its poll lead into an election victory, adding: “It might be true that governments lose elections, but oppositions determine how much they lose by.”

In an interview with The Guardian, Simons said: “We’ve won a couple of big and notable policy victories over the Conservative Party over the last few years and that’s really helped situate Labour in voters’ minds as a serious potential party of government.”

“But what we now need to do is turn that into a coherent narrative about the moment that we live in, the challenges that the country face and how Labour would address those,” he added.

Simons – an activist in Greater Manchester who worked for Jeremy Corbyn during his time as Labour leader before becoming an early critic of the party’s handling of antisemitism – declared that Labour has in the past lost its “laser-sharp focus on the voter that it needs to win”.

He said: “What matters isn’t that Labour has a huge long list of policies that covers every area. It’s that people understand what Labour’s priorities are. That’s the most important thing.

“And what it needs to communicate that effectively is a few very focused policies, and a story about the moment the country is in and the challenge we face.”

Simons revealed that Labour Together – which was previously headed by Keir Starmer’s campaign director Morgan McSweeney – will be working with the Labour leader’s team, the shadow frontbench and other MPs on the “big fundamental challenges facing the UK”.

He said the aim of the discussions would be to begin to set out “ambitious and forward-looking ideas about how to really meet those challenges in a coherent way”.

Simons told The Guardian that he hopes to draw on his background in academia and the technology sector in his new role, arguing: “Labour has to look outwards, understand those trends and those shifts that are happening out there in the world and have an answer to how to harness them to win elections.”

“That’s its job. It’s doing that but it’s got to keep doing it. It’s got to do it fast, because the general election will come on us sooner than we think,” he added.

Commenting on Simons’ appointment, Rachel Reeves said Labour Together will play a “key role in bringing together the best ideas and people across the labour movement”. The Shadow Chancellor added: “I look forward to working closely with Josh and the team as we build an ambitious and compelling plan for the future.”

Simons is taking over from Hannah O’Rourke – who has been at Labour Together for the past five years. She is moving on to help run Campaign Lab, a cross-factional network set up by Labour Together focused on campaign innovation.

Labour Together launched Labour’s Covenant in January, which set out its plan for the reconstruction of the national economy across the UK, following consultation with policy advisers, academics, journalists, think tank experts and Labour mayors, councillors and MPs.

Writing for LabourList on the day of Covenant’s launch, John Cruddas said: “National reconstruction will prioritise work and wages, families and local places. These are the building blocks for a more secure and prosperous society.

“Covenant puts the practice of reciprocity at the centre of political economy and social reform. The country is entering a new political era. Labour’s Covenant sets out how Labour can begin renewing itself politically, drawing on its own history and traditions.”