Labour sends MPs and PPCs campaign ‘bible’ as election messaging revealed

Hundreds of MPs and prospective parliamentary candidates will be sent a new Labour “campaigning bible” on Tuesday, urging them to go deep into Tory territory, LabourList has learned.

The launch of the 24-page document, called “Let’s Get Britain’s Future Back”, marks the next phase of the party’s election preparations and campaigning on its five missions, summing up key policies, arguments for change, their tangible benefits for voters and case studies.

It comes as leader Keir Starmer also embarks on a series of visits across the country to promote the five missions on growth, energy, health, crime and opportunity, with the first in Greater Manchester last week focused around the NHS.

A Labour source said the document showed how economic growth is the party’s “number one priority”, and “the terrain Labour is confident of fighting and winning on at the election”.

Time for change after Tory failure; a changed Labour has a long-term plan

Each section of the new document, seen by LabourList, follows a template understood to represent a “four-part strategy for winning the next election” in messaging terms, showing how and why in each mission policy area:

• It’s time for a change
• The Tories have failed – with stark statistics underlining Tory failure
• Keir Starmer has changed the Labour Party
• Labour has a long-term plan to Get Britain’s Future Back.

Each section includes details of several existing policies, which is likely to be seen as boosting their chances of reaching Labour’s final general election manifesto – widely expected to be a slim document.

Renewal vs decline, hope vs pessimism, growth vs stagnation, long-term vs short-term

The document also seeks to carve out key electoral dividing lines as seen by Labour:

• National renewal versus national decline
• Country first, versus party first
• On the side of working people, versus on the side of privileged croneys
• Tackling long-term challenges, versus sticking-plaster politics
• Hope versus pessimism
• Economic stability and growth, versus crashing the economy and economic stagnation

Pat McFadden, national campaign coordinator and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, wrote to Labour MPs and general election candidates to share the document.

He told LabourList: “While Tory MPs are jumping ship, many Tory voters are asking what the point of a Tory Party is if it can no longer run the economy or deliver on its promises. Time after time, the Prime Minister’s pledges have failed and this isn’t just a pattern for this Prime Minister – it goes back over the Tories’ fourteen years in power.”

The document repeatedly highlights how Labour plans are “fully costed and fully funded”, using the latter phrase nine times.

It argues that the Tory reputation for economic competence has been destroyed by former prime minister Liz Truss’s Budget, and the series of tax rises on working people that the Tories have put in place.

It also argues the Tories have failed on secure borders by losing control of them and placing all their faith in a failed and unworkable Rwanda scheme.

Missions based on economic stability, strong defence, secure borders

The document begins with an introduction by Starmer, followed by a section on the three “strong, stable and secure foundations” needed before it outlines the five missions. These are “non-negotiable” economic stability and sound finances, strong national defence, and secure borders.

The paper will also be shared with “key stakeholders” across the five mission areas, as well as members of the public to encourage them to share their views on how the missions can have the most impact on their communities

Starmer: Tories have drained the well of optimism

Starmer’s introduction to the document highlights his working-class upbringing, says he’s been “fighting all my life” and will “fight to restore hope and pride in our great country”.

It continues: “Britain’s got the talent, the entrepreneurs, the world-beating scientists and, the dedicated volunteers serving their communities. We’ve got millions of hard-working British citizens who fight against the odds each day.

“But the one thing we don’t have is a government that rolls up its sleeves and gets to work alongside people to solve the country’s problems. The Tories have knocked the confidence of the country, drained the well of optimism, tried to stop people believing change is possible.”

It warns that “some of the decisions we will have to take will not be easy”. The introduction ends with: “How people voted in recent elections doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that we heal the wounds of the last few years and come together for the sake of our country. That we all get behind change, real change, to get this proud nation off its knees and get Britain’s future back.”