‘Labour needs to listen: How the party can stem the tide of right wing populism’

It’s early days and we are less than three months in but already it seems the new Labour government is struggling.

The events in August were appalling and it is right the worst culprits were dealt with severely. However, the riots cannot simply be dismissed as the actions of a small handful of hard right thugs.  The fact they took place also reflects deep issues in our society, in particular, in the ex-industrial towns across the UK.

Margaret Thatcher’s governments did serious long term damage. Her policies destroyed much of Britain’s heavy industries including mining, steel and the car industry – industries that provided good well paid and previously secure employment. By the late 1980’s many working class communities were left devastated and, unfortunately, not much has improved since that time.

There is a whiff of decay in many of these towns with their run down estates, down at heel shops and wasteland that once used to be a factory/mine. People there feel abandoned. Many believe that the so called political class simply doesn’t care about them. Instead, they see modern day politicians as an out of touch Westminster elite living in a liberal woke filled bubble.

Many people in these communities stopped voting after the early euphoria of Tony Blair’s victory in 1997. The electoral turnout fell from 71.4% in 1997 to 59.4% in 2001. Then along came UKIP and Brexit which provided an opportunity for them to vent their anger. Immigration and racism were a factor in the Brexit referendum.

However, above all, it was a cry of anguish from people whose vote finally seemed to count for something. Sadly, they used the Brexit referendum to make their voice heard in a way that was never going to provide a solution.

The Tories implode

The issues underlying the Brexit vote were exploited by Johnson and the Conservatives in 2019. The so-called red wall fell with voters there lured by the false promise of ‘levelling up’ and Johnson’s promise to ‘get Brexit done’.

This year’s election saw some return to Labour. However, with the Tories imploded, many opted for Reform. The extreme far right are also increasingly target these areas – looking to exploit genuine grievances to build support for their extreme views.

The degree of alienation of working class communities in many parts of Britain cannot be underestimated. Labour needs to urgently get into these communities and to first and foremost listen to their concerns – no more slogans.

READ MORE: Labour risks losing loyal voters, new poll shows

We need to say we understand your frustration and want to work with you to try and put things right. We need to develop Labour’s plan for Barnsley, Sunderland etc. in conjunction with local communities, trade unions, charities, action groups etc.  The local plans need then to be put into effect as part of Labour’s strategy of national renewal.

Unfortunately, to date, far from doing this, we are in serious danger of simply reinforcing their jaundiced view of politicians – that they are all the same and just out for themselves. The ‘gifts and hospitality’ furore is very damaging. Everything may well have been properly and transparently declared but that misses the point. Taking free clothes, football ticket packages including hospitality, expensive free accommodation for whatever reason makes the government and ministers look elitist and out of touch.

Revising in Downing Street may be difficult but it bears no comparison to trying to study for your GCSE’s in an overcrowded run down council flat where there are no proper desk and you don’t even have your own bedroom.

‘Labour needs to listen’

At the same time, the government has chosen to show its determination to be fiscally prudent by focusing on poorer parts of society. Maintaining the two child benefit cap reinforces child poverty, especially, in already depressed areas of  the country. Yes, some pensioners are wealthy and do not need the winter fuel payment. But many who do not qualify for pension credit do need it. Now Labour has announced a new crackdown on benefit fraud. Where have we heard that before?

It’s a deeply unattractive and unedifying contrast to the freebies which is hurting Labour already. The latest Ipsos poll records 62% of people dissatisfied with the government compared to just 25% who are satisfied. This is light years away from 1997 when early approval ratings were in excess of 65%.  If we are not very careful we will push working class communities ever more towards to populism and the empty slogans of Farage and the far right. That is a real danger.

Recap on all of the news and debate from party conference 2024 by LabourList here.

The depressed working class communities in our former industrial towns have had a bellyful of tough decisions. They do not need to hear that things are going to get worse with more cuts coupled with doom and gloom. They need a way out and above all hope, hope – not more lectures about getting a job.

Labour needs to listen. Our leaders need to get out of the unreal world of Westminster. We need to show there is real flesh on the plan for national renewal. We need to break the plan down so people in every community can understand what it means for them. How many houses, how many schools, which new hospitals, where the new jobs are coming from.

It’s clearly not too late but change really does need to begin now including at the top of our party.

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