‘There are no geographical boundaries on good ideas’

The past few weeks have seen an important debate about the future direction of the Labour Party and government opening up. Some regard this as evidence of division. But I see something more encouraging and probably overdue.

Labour has always been at its best when it is willing to think and debate, to challenge itself and to grapple honestly with the realities facing the country. The debate we are seeing today is not a distraction from governing. It is necessary to govern effectively.

As someone who spent more than a decade leading Newcastle City Council, I know how important it is to listen when voters send a message, and the message from voters was clear in May. As well as the sad losses of local councillors who are usually the heartbeat of the Labour party in their area, local election results matter because they are often the earliest warning signs of public frustration. They remind us that electoral victories are never permanent and that trust has to be earned repeatedly through delivery. 

READ MORE: ‘Delivering in local government: How Labour is building a better Britain everywhere’

But they also remind us that governing is not as simple as opposition.

In local government, I learned that every decision involves trade-offs. Every pound spent in one place cannot be spent somewhere else. Every pledge has to be matched by delivery. Every promise has to survive contact with reality.

National government is no different, and even more so at a time of such extraordinary pressure as today.

Britain’s problems are deep-rooted and structural. Weak productivity, regional inequality, pressure on public services, the challenges of technological change and the demands of an ageing society, all are posing profound challenges at a time of instability abroad and insecurity at home.

This goes beyond personalities, and the issues are not ones that can be addressed through slogans or single-policy fixes. It is about big solutions to big problems.

This is what we are focused on at ThinkLabour.

Our role is to create space for serious thinking about the future: bringing together political leaders, policymakers, academics, businesses and communities from up and down the country to confront the issues that can help Labour win and build a stronger, fairer Britain. We will work openly and collaboratively with Ministers, MPs, Mayors and others across the Labour Party to develop innovative ideas.

Become a friend of LabourList and join our community. Our friends support our vital non-factional work and get access to exclusive content and events. 

ThinkLabour has a unique mix, with high quality polling research, policy expertise and political know-how we can offer Labour the ideas which will help lead the country to a better place. 

 This approach underpins our new report Progressive Dynamism. In it, our Director of Policy, James Howatt looks at Labour’s political economy, setting out a bold and coherent economic story to grow the economy and deliver greater prosperity in order to tackle inequality and improve public services. 

Labour’s central mission should be to harness the technological revolution for the benefit of all. This will not be easy and will involve some difficult political choices and trade-offs. But ThinkLabour will not shy away from tackling the biggest and most challenging issues.

ThinkLabour has undergone a huge amount of change recently. But since I have joined I have seen a team, led by Alison Phillips, that gives me great hope for the future of ideas in the Labour movement. 

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook. You can also write to our editor to share your thoughts on our stories and share your own. The best letters are published every Sunday.

• • SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
  • SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
  • BECOME A FRIEND: If you enjoyed this, why not consider becoming a Friend of LabourList? Help sustain our journalism, and of course Friends do get benefits…
  • PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
  • ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].