‘Why I joined Labour: my first steps into politics’

A few days ago, I made a decision I had thought about for a very long time.

I joined the Labour Party.

For me, this wasn’t a decision I took lightly. I have always cared deeply about my community here in Davyhulme, but I reached a point where I felt I couldn’t simply stand on the sidelines and watch politics happen around me. I needed to get involved.

Part of that feeling came from what happened locally to me. Reform took a council seat from Labour, in my area, by only 11 votes, and subsequently that councillor was arrested in connection with an allegation of carrying a dangerous weapon. I found the situation deeply upsetting.

Whatever someone’s political allegiance, I believe people who represent our communities should understand the responsibility that comes with holding public office.

It made me think very seriously about the direction I wanted to see for my own area and I decided I needed to step up. I wanted to fight for Labour locally, but more importantly, I wanted to do something positive for the community I live in.

Since joining, everything has moved rather quickly. I received a lovely welcome email from the Head of the Council, who introduced me to the two Labour councillors representing my area of Davyhulme here in Urmston, Trafford. That immediately made the experience feel very personal. I wasn’t simply becoming a membership number. I was being welcomed into a local organisation with people who are already working every day on behalf of our community.

WATCH: New LabourList Podcast – NEC Election Special

Then came my first ever canvassing session. I joined the Urmston Labour councillors and went out around Urmston, knocking on doors and speaking to residents and I absolutely loved it. What struck me most was that canvassing isn’t simply about asking people for their vote. It’s about listening.

Residents talked to us about potholes, overhanging trees and anti-social behaviour, including concerns about young people using scooters and e-bikes.

These might sound like relatively small issues when discussed from a distance, but when you’re standing on someone’s doorstep and listening to them explain how something affects their street and their daily life, you realise how important these issues actually are.

One thing became particularly clear to me. Our councils need the resources to deal with these problems.

It is very easy to criticise a council because a pothole hasn’t been repaired or a street hasn’t received the attention residents feel it deserves.

But where is the money supposed to come from? Local government needs adequate funding from central government. Without it, councils are forced to make incredibly difficult decisions about where limited resources are spent.

Main roads can understandably receive priority, while smaller residential streets can sometimes feel neglected.

More funding for local government could make a genuine difference to people’s everyday lives.Better roads. Better maintained streets. More responsive services. More capacity to tackle anti-social behaviour and support communities.

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. 

Perhaps the biggest thing I have learned already is that politics is about people. It isn’t just Westminster or Parliament or just political arguments on television and social media. Politics is also the person who opens their front door and tells you about the pothole outside their house. It’s the resident worried about trees becoming dangerous and the parent concerned about anti-social behaviour, the person who simply wants their street to feel safe and looked after. That is the politics I want to be involved in.

I have only been a Labour member for a very short time, but already I feel that joining was the right decision.

I want to learn, to listen, to work and most of all I want to fight for my community.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I’m only at the very beginning of this journey. But I do know that sitting back wasn’t going to change anything. So I stepped up. I joined Labour and went canvassing. I listened to residents and I intend to keep going. I’ve only just started my journey into politics, and I’m already loving it.

Davyhulme, is my community and I want to help make it stronger. And I’m ready to play my part.

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].