‘Lessons from Brazil: What Labour can learn from Lula’s victory’

If elections are political theatre, South America has always known how to put on a show. Brazil’s presidential election concluded with a fittingly chaotic climax, with a last-minute Supreme Court extension to voting hours as public transport was disrupted in some cities and severe weather affected others.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s left-wing president, a former metalworker and trade union leader who built his political career in the fight for workers’ rights, successfully defended his record against the Bolsonaro political dynasty.  But beneath the spectacle lies a serious question: what can Brazil’s election tell us about the state of politics and the challenges facing the left more widely?

Brazil is no distant political curiosity. Its recent experience embodies many of the tensions shaping democracies around the world: the rise of the populist right, the personalisation of political power, the erosion of trust in institutions and the struggle of progressive movements to build coalitions broad enough to win and then govern effectively. The contest between the sitting President Lula on the left and Flávio Bolsonaro on the right, the former President’s son, gave voters a choice between profoundly different political projects. Brazil – or 51.79% of Brazilian voters to be more precise – backed Lula.

For those of us in the British Labour movement there is much to reflect on. Five lessons stand out.

1. There’s no time to sit down, when standing up for the working class

No political party can take working-class voters for granted. Lula’s Workers’ Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores, or PT) has deep roots in Brazil’s labour movement, yet its appeal among some working-class voters has come under pressure.

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For Labour in Britain, the lesson is clear: our history gives us a foundation, not a permanent entitlement to people’s votes. Winning support requires demonstrating what we will do for working people today, not simply reminding them what we once stood for.

Brazil’s debate over ending the 6×1 working pattern – six days at work followed by one day off – highlights how governments that enhance workers’ rights can improve everyday life. A shorter working week without a cut in pay means more time for family, health and life beyond work.

But timing matters. Lula had been in office since January 2023, while the reform’s decisive legislative moment came just days before the October 2026 run-off. Flávio Bolsonaro’s eventual support, despite previously opposing the measure, showed how the right can be even more terrified of losing votes than they are of empowered workers.Brazilian workers can now enjoy a two-day weekend like their British counterparts, and they know who fought for it.

Labour’s lesson is to deliver tangible improvements for working people, and own them loudly and proudly, as you never know when opponents will jump on the same bandwagon. 

2. Take the public with you on energy and environment decisions

A record fall in Amazon deforestation was among Lula’s most globally significant triumphs in the build-up to this election. But he more than muddied the waters for environmentally conscious supporters last year by backing controversial oil exploration near the mouth of the Amazon River, arguing that oil revenues could help fund Brazil’s energy transition.

This tightrope act will resonate with the UK Government, following their recent approval of the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea. Trade-offs that prioritise energy security over achieving net zero need just as clear and persuasive a narrative as those that hit people’s pockets as the cost of tackling climate change.

As deforestation of the Amazon surged by 60% under Bolsonaro’s father, it is an electoral fact that the left must show greater sensitivity than the right when navigating decisions that impact the environment.

3. Law and order cannot belong to the right

In a key debate, Bolsonaro promised a “war on narcoterrorism” and more prison space, while Lula argued for a federal security ministry and stronger coordination to combat crime and regain territory controlled by criminal groups. The left in many democracies face the challenge of appearing ‘tough’ while knowing that the war on drugs has failed, and that an ever-expanding prison estate reveals a failure to prevent crime from happening.

Meanwhile, Bolsonaro’s father being imprisoned for an attempted coup didn’t stop his party and son from coming so close to power. In the UK, Reform Wales became the second largest party in the Senedd earlier this year, despite its disgraced former leader being sentenced to over 10 years for accepting Russian bribes.

Labour has a wider messaging problem too, as violence in England and Wales hits its lowest level since record began, but the narrative is stolen by the early release of prisoners back onto the streets. We need to tell a story of what works, not just parrot the simplistic reflexes of the right.

4. Personal insults can land, but they stifle debate and degrade elections

“Lying is the Bolsonaro family’s forte” met with “Your nose is growing, Lula” in a televised debate as it descended into personal attacks, with Lula and Bolsonaro trading barbs over honesty and character. Such exchanges may entertain supporters and provide memorable soundbites, but as politics becomes a contest of insults, it has crowded out debate about policies, performance and the issues that shape people’s lives.

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In the UK, Boris Johnson’s “Captain Hindsight” caricaturing of Sir Keir Starmer did nothing to stop that Labour leader going on to win a landslide in 2024. But in the US, Trump’s “Crooked Hillary” and “Sleepy Joe” were crowd favourites and a hallmark of his style. 

So yes, personal attacks from a shameless communicator don’t always backfire, but the world can do without the insults.

5. Election interference allegations won’t leave democracies alone

‘Stolen election’ claims are by no means new, but are increasingly in vogue. Flávio Bolsonaro, just like his father four years ago, has already refused to accept the election result. But even before polling day, Brazil’s intelligence agency reported interference from the US and Russia.

On top of that, Brazil’s electoral court ordered Meta (owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) to give equal treatment to both Lula and Bolsonaro. Lula’s campaign triggered the lawsuit just 10 days before the election run-off, accusing Meta of favouring Bolsonaro with biased algorithms and AI restrictions.

In the crush between Trump, Russia, neighbouring countries and tech giants, perceptions of electoral integrity are being squeezed like never before. Here in the UK, this re-entered public debate when the Prime Minister declared in October that it was “clear” that Russia interfered with the 2016 Brexit vote. This issue is much bigger than any political party, as it goes to the heart of whether democracies can continue to function legitimately.

Brazil’s election, like those we have in the UK, was about more than two political figures. It was a battle over national identity, economic security, democratic norms and who gets to speak for ordinary working people. All lessons Labour can learn from it. 

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