‘This weekend the Fabian Society discuss Labour’s plans to renew Britain, the challenges and the choices ahead’

Eighteen months ago, the electorate kicked out a tired, divided, scandal-ridden and utterly failed Conservative government, delivering Labour a historic landslide victory. 

But things look very different today. The first year and a half in government have been far from easy for Labour.  

Much of this is down to the utter mess that we inherited. Few new governments take over when everything is going well. If the public think the country is moving in the right direction, they don’t tend to chuck the incumbents out. 

The current government’s inheritance however was the most challenging of any in the last half century. In 1997, Blair and Brown inherited public services that were in a very poor state. But the economy was stable and growing, enabling Labour to share the proceeds of growth. In 2010, the Coalition faced the legacy of a global financial crisis. But public services were strong and well-funded, with high levels of public satisfaction. 

READ MORE: Ben Cooper column: ‘On housing, Labour should build a lasting legacy’

By contrast, in 2024, Labour inherited both public services on their knees, and a stagnant economy. Voters had experienced the longest squeeze on living standards in history, and public finances were under huge and growing pressure. 

We need to be honest with ourselves though. While we’ve had a challenging hand, it has not been played well. We’ve struggled to tell a consistent story, one which cuts through and inspires, and which shows clearly whose side we are on. And Labour has not always demonstrated the competence in government that we claimed we would bring when we were in opposition. 

While the toxic inheritance is a reason for many of the government’s travails, it cannot be an excuse. The public are already sick and tired of hearing about the mess that we were left with. They are hungry for the change promised on the front cover of Labour’s manifesto. 

And if they do not soon see tangible improvements in their living standards, in the public services that they rely on, and in the places that they call home, then they risk losing faith that mainstream politics can deliver. 

Labour is being squeezed between a populism of the left, and a much more dangerous populism of the right. Both offer simple solutions for the complex challenges that we face. And both are feeding on the sense that our politics is broken. 

But we should not be dejected or demoralised. While the polls are grim, they are snapshots, not forecasts. And while we face very significant challenges, this is certainly not the time to indulge in division. 

In less than four months, most of the country will go to the polls in the most important ‘mid-term’ elections we will see during this Parliament. Voters in Scotland will decide whether they want an unprecedented third decade of SNP rule, with yet more focus on the constitution rather than on fixing public services. In Wales, Labour faces the difficulty of ‘double incumbency’ – being in power both in the Senedd and in Westminster – and strong challenges from Reform and Plaid. And across much of England, voters will get to say who they want to run their town halls. 

With such a short time to go until May, Labour must focus not on personalities and on division, but on the issues that matter. 

That is what we will be doing this Saturday at the Fabian New Year Conference. Hundreds of Fabian and Labour members will gather for the curtain-raiser of the political year. 

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We’ll be hearing from Lucy Powell, Labour’s new Deputy Leader, who will set out the political year ahead . Ed Miliband will talk about his vision for clean energy; cutting bills, creating green jobs and powering national renewal. And Wes Streeting will set out how he is getting our NHS back on its feet, and ensuring that it is fit for the future. 

And the next few months, the Fabians will be working with our members to set out a bold agenda for our country, squarely focused on the issues that matter to the public. From building good quality homes, to ensuring decent work for all. And setting out a vision for immigration which is progressive and practical, and which chimes with the  values of both Labour and the nation. 

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Our new online events programme – Fabian Thinking – will provide a space to discuss big ideas with leading figures across the labour movement.

We’re also looking forward to welcoming Mayor Steve Rotheram, for our first ‘In Conversation‘ event on 3rd February held in partnership with our friends at LabourList. And we’re also launching a new book club to discuss the best political books with the authors. We’ll be talking to Tom Baldwin on 11th February about his fascinating biography of the Prime Minister. 

If you want to come to New Year Conference, you can get your ticket here. Or – better still – join the Fabians today for a free ticket, and to help us shape the future of the left.

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