The reason for New Labour’s success over the past decade was that the party spoke to people’s concerns and aspirations. Underpinning the movement was an acceptance that in the two decades to 1997, the party had been unable to win on its traditional core vote, and needed to move beyond its heartlands in order to ensure electoral success.
Given the new political challenges that the party and the country face, it is more important than ever that Labour keeps this broad coalition of support. Retaining the support of the white working class is so important for Labour because these are our people, whose values sit at the heart of Labour thinking about fairness and opportunity.
Of course we cannot afford to lose large numbers of the white working class to Tory approaches or, at absolute worst, the insidious campaigning of the BNP. But seeking to retain the support of our broad coalition, we must not fall into a trap of patronising the white working class. Nor should we be fooled into thinking that certain sections of the electorate do not want the things that everyone, including our middle-class voters, want.
Take, for example, the issue of choice and personalised service across the public services. From sitting in my constituency surgery every week, it is clear that this is not a middle-class worry, but one that is shared by everyone, especially those on lower wages who have been crying out for the right to choose what is right for them, when they want it.
Labour can retain the support of this vital group by demonstrating concrete progress in addressing the fears that naturally arise among the white working class in a constantly changing world, even if they appear uncomfortable at first. The fast pace of change and forces of globalisation can unnerve people and make them threatened by the realities shifting around them.
These issues are most frequently expressed through the areas of jobs and housing. On employment, it is vital that the government does all it can to ensure that people have relevant skills for the 21st century. Initiatives that would have been unnecessary and implausible just a generation ago, such as lifelong learning or retraining, have become crucial, especially in areas where traditional industries are no longer functioning as they did in the last century. I also believe that we need to be better at communicating the inherent fairness of the housing system, to ensure that people are not prone to a (perfectly natural) sense of injustice.
Yet progress made in specific policy areas will not help Labour consolidate its support among any social group unless it is underpinned by a compelling vision and set of policies that people support, and which they feel are helping them.
One overarching theme that we need to be better at communicating is the importance of playing by the rules, helping those who work hard and play fair but sometimes feel the government is not on their side.
On the economy and in our public services, people need to feel that the government is fighting their corner. If we are not able to make the case that we are on the side of ordinary people, the media line that Labour only represents this group, or that lobby, will filter through and the public will no longer be able to see what we stand for.
I am optimistic that this experience offers real hope to the party. Over the next two years we need to work hard to make sure we are able to speak to this group, and show – not just say – how we are on the side of people from all backgrounds, from all areas of the country.
This way we can ensure we keep the coalition of support we worked so hard to secure and retain, while making sure our traditional supporters see we speak and deliver for them.