Discipline, data, innovation: Labour NEC election campaign priorities revealed

A new document seen by LabourList reveals Labour’s national executive committee’s (NEC) key campaign priorities ahead of a general election.

The document “sets out proposed aims and objectives for 2024” for the party’s governing NEC to review, stressing that “preparation for and delivery of” the forthcoming general election campaign is the NEC’s priority.

LabourList understands the plans were signed off by the NEC at their November 28 meeting. The core aims and objectives were listed as follows in the draft document, though some minor amendments are said to have been made since:

• Ensure voters know the Labour Party is ready for government and will put the country first.
• Continue fundraising efforts to ensure that Labour can match opposition party spending pound for pound, in line with new electoral spending limits.
• Discipline and focus at every level. Winning elections must underpin every decision and every action. Difficult decisions need to be taken quickly and decisively to remove obstacles to winning the next general election.
• A winning, evidence based campaign strategy with innovation at its heart. Labour must run the most modern, professional and disciplined campaign ever to beat our opposition. New ideas must be welcomed, with no reliance on the campaign status quo.
• A clear, optimistic and persuasive offer to voters about what a Labour government would mean for them based on Labour values, led by the leader of the opposition and informed by robust data and insight.
• Digital, data and technology embedded into our campaign strategy at national and local level, identifying and reaching target voters with well-crafted messages that resonate with their lives.
• Ensure a strong and active campaigning base of Labour members and activists in battleground seats. Supporting talented Labour candidates to lead campaigns and advocate for Labour in every community, ensuring that every voter has the opportunity to vote Labour, and training members in new modern ways of campaigning.
• Strategic, focused and engaging communications so that voters see Labour as a government in waiting, with policies communicated clearly and a strong positive narrative.

The latest document also suggests the creation of a “professional volunteer development programme to utilise the expertise of specialists and experts in a range of fields” to aid campaigning and the organisation more generally.

Fears election could become a referendum on ‘unchanged’ Labour

One senior party figure reportedly told the meeting the Tories were moving from presenting Rishi Sunak as a “change” candidate,  to a “better the devil you know” theme.  The Tories are expected to try to deny Labour has changed, according to one account of the meeting, and argue change means risk.

The Tories want to make the election a referendum on Labour rather than a referendum on their performance in government, it was also reportedly suggested.

Labour’s key messaging in response is likely to be that the Tories have failed and will fail again, reminding voters they crashed the economy and the NHS, and have hiked taxes 25 times, according to a source at the meeting.

By contrast, the meeting was apparently told Labour needs to reassure voters it can deliver change voters can trust, as Starmer has changed the party, and he has a long-term plan. Labour must be disciplined on its fiscal rules, bullet-proof its policy offer and avoid making itself the focus of the election, the senior party figure reportedly added.

Trust on the economy and national security were said to be key to get voters’ “permission to talk about” other areas like growth, healthcare, crime, opportunity and clean power.

Another party figure reportedly suggested Labour should encourage postal voting as it boosts turnout, and have a “ruthless” focus of resources on its key battleground seats. Labour also needs to not just secure more switchers to Labour, but retain recent switchers, boost current Labour voter turnout and emphasise only Labour can win to disincentivise support for smaller parties, another person present reportedly stressed.