The coming general election represents both the greatest threat and the greatest opportunity for our party in its history. A Labour third term – with sustained investment and reform in our public services, more jobs than ever before, and rising prosperity for all – is an opportunity no previous generation of Labour activists ever contemplated. If the Tories under Michael Howard win, all of our gains will be reversed and a new Tory dark age will begin: boom and bust, three million unemployed, cuts in services and social division. Forward, not back, is the stark choice.
So this election is vital. It will be won on the quality of our organisation. I have always argued, publicly and privately, that party members are crucial partners for Labour in power. Every scrap of evidence tells us that no progressive government can be sustained without a vibrant party apparatus in every constituency. A head without a body is doomed. That’s why I have tried to visit so many CLPs to hear members’ concerns and to connect them to the government’s agenda.
That process of listening and learning becomes more important in coming weeks. So what should Labour parties do now? The first step is a rapid process of political education around the election pledges. These will be the bedrock of our campaign. Our enemies have already started to challenge and dismiss them. So party activists need to know that these pledges are not merely slogans – they represent the people’s priorities for a third term, and express our values of security and opportunity. CLPs can organise discussions around the pledges, local parties can show what the pledges would mean for their own communities, and the campaign materials including the pledge card can be distributed to all party members.
There are many people in every community who wish Labour well, yet who never appear at GC meetings or are even party members. Not everyone signs up to every dot and comma of everything the government has done in eight years. There are some major disagreements and disputes. We all recognise that. But these people are prepared to give Labour the benefit of the doubt, because on balance they prefer what we do to the alternatives. Local CLPs need to identify this group of supporters, and include them in the campaign as more than potential voters.
A key characteristic of this campaign will be the need for non-politicians to motivate and mobilise voters. It should come as no surprise to learn that not everyone in Britain likes and respects politicians. People are more likely to be influenced by a friend, neighbour or colleague. We need to build on the success of the trade unions in getting out the vote for Labour, and see how we can spread it to other sectors. Many of the jobs we have created are in the public sector – more police and community support officers, more teachers, more nurses, more Sure Start workers, more neighbourhood wardens, and more people working in regeneration partnerships. These networks need to be tapped into by local campaigners.
People are motivated by issues of local concern more than manifestos and hustings. Local campaigns against litter, drugs, noise, speeding or graffiti can enthuse and engage people never before involved in ‘politics.’ For example, in the few months since his by-election victory, Liam Byrne MP has run a magnificent campaign in Birmingham Hodge Hill to gain local support for measures to tackle antisocial behaviour. These issues go to the heart of what local people are worried about, and Labour can show we are on their side through grassroots campaigning.
This election will spring surprises and challenges. But if Labour can stay united in our values, play to our strengths locally, highlight the hard work of local Labour MPs, and run an effective campaign below the radar of the national media, then a third term can be ours.