I joined the Labour party when I was 15. I attended my first local branch meeting in June 1983 in the aftermath of that year’s disastrous general election defeat. I returned a month later and was elected (unopposed) as branch secretary. What strikes me as remarkable is that so many of the organisational challenges faced by Labour today are so similar to those we faced in the 1980s. Many of the issues we confronted after our third defeat in 1987 are the same issues we face after our historic third victory in 2005.
Of course, the political context is completely different. Not only are we witnessing the longest-ever period of Labour government but the relationship between the government and the party has in many ways been far more healthy and mature than in previous periods of government – especially that in the 1970s. On the other hand, the broader political landscape features some very disturbing trends – not least the decline in voter turnout, especially among young people.
As party political people we have long faced the dilemma of why so many (in particular young) people prefer to join pressure groups rather than parties. There is nothing new about this – in the 1980s, my politically engaged friends were in CND, Greenpeace or anti-apartheid ; today’s young people are more likely to be involved with Make Poverty History than with the Labour party – or any other party. Does this matter? Well, yes and no. Yes, because declining voter turnout cannot be healthy for politics in general and progressive politics in particular. And no in the sense that lower turnout at elections does not actually reflect a decline in political interest among young people.
The challenge for Labour – both organisationally and politically – is to tap into the real political concerns that exist in all sections of the community and to demonstrate that party politics can be relevant and responsive – but to do so in a way that respects people’s scepticism. It won’t be easy but it is urgent. By the next general election we will have been in power for 12 or even 13 years. The first-time voters of 2009 were attending primary school when the Tories were last in power. Labour’s traditional electoral advantage in this age group simply cannot be taken for granted.
Engaging with young people is perhaps the most important organisational challenge we face. Let us harness the resources of the entire Labour movement to face this challenge – Young Labour, the youth work of the trades unions, Labour Students, the Young Fabians. Citizenship education in schools provides a real opportunity to promote serious discussion among young people. Members of parliament, local councillors and others have a central leadership role to play here.
There are many innovations from which we can learn. For example, one thing I did as an MP was to establish an advisory panel of around 50 local people who I met on a regular basis to discuss key local concerns like crime, health and education. Some of the best contributions to the work of that panel came from its young members, most of whom were elected by the secondary schools in the area.
If we are to encourage more young people to engage with politics and potentially join our party, the culture of the party needs to change. Things are a lot better today than they used to be but still too many of our meetings and events are unnecessarily boring, bureaucratic and business-driven. I am still shocked that the all-too-common response locally when new people put themselves forward to be party officers is one of suspicion rather than welcome.
Building a more representative party is not just about young people – we still have a long way to go with respect to the representation of women and ethnic minorities while the numbers of our elected representatives working in manual jobs have been in long-term decline. Part of the problem is about what experience is valued and what is not. Work in the wider community is not always given the same value within the party as internal party experience. Often we do not tap into the rich expertise that already exists among party members – for example the knowledge and experience of the thousands of Labour school governors. In some LEAs, Labour governors meet to discuss education policy and share views but these cases are exceptional, not typical.
Perhaps the biggest organisational change in the Labour party in the past decade has been the creation of the National Policy Forum and Partnership in Power. Warwick 2004 demonstrated the very real benefits of the forum; the task now for all of us who care about members’ involvement is to build on Warwick. In government, tough and sometimes unpopular decisions have to be made. What is important is that the party has the space for these issues to be explored fully by party members. The policy forum process needs to be developed further so that this member engagement happens earlier and in greater depth. Organisations such as Progress, the Fabians and Compass have an important role to play in fostering such involvement. It is neither practical nor desirable for all this work to be left to the party itself.
Engaging with existing party members is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for party renewal. Reaching out beyond our current membership is essential – partly so we can recruit new members but more so that we can engage with the full range of voices. The Big Conversation at its best provided opportunities for such engagement. This needs to be part of the ongoing work of the party both locally and nationally – not just a one-off exercise.
Stemming the decline in party membership is important – it is worth studying the experience of the Tories in the 1990s to learn the real dangers when decay sets in at the grassroots. We need a membership offer that is attractive and flexible and a party culture that is welcoming. Can we also do more to engage with supporters who pay the political levy through trades unions and with voters who consistently support Labour but choose not to join?
Campaigning is central to our very purpose as a political party. As turnout has fallen and partisan allegiance has weakened, local campaigns have become more important. Yet, sometimes campaigning is seen as an alternative to political discussion: the two should go hand in hand. For obvious reasons, campaign resources have focused on marginal parliamentary constituencies. There is, though, a real danger that we neglect our heartland areas. Engagement with communities in these seats should be given greater priority.
There are plenty of examples of excellent grassroots practice for us to draw upon, some of which have been referred to here. The third-term organisational challenge for Labour is to learn from these so that they become the norm and not the exception. If we do so, we can create a party in which membership is rising once again, in which young people are welcomed and supported, in which our elected representatives reflect the diversity of the communities they serve and – most importantly of all – where the party has a real and dynamic relationship with local people.