In considering this, I’d like to consider two examples. First, the coalition’s education plans and second, a local example that we’ve been working on in Loughborough.
As a teacher I believe the progress that’s been made in education over the last few years is tangible and also that the threat posed by the coalition’s approach to education is in danger of winding back that progress by several years. Let’s take the Building Schools for the Future decision as a starting point.
Anyone who works in a school building that was built over 20 years ago will be able to give you horror stories about areas which are inappropriately designed and factors that make the building unsuitable. Michael Gove has said that buildings have no influence on student progress and achievement. That is categorically untrue. I heard the Head of Littleover School in Derby reflecting on the loss of the BSF money. His anger and disappointment was palpable, commenting as he was on the unsustainable buildings which were on the verge of giving up. One of the key OFSTED grading criteria (and teaching standards) talks about creating a purposeful, safe learning environment. How can you do that in buildings that are run down and dangerous?
Many are distressed and unimpressed with the decision to cut BSF money. It’s been commented before that the decision shows that the new government’s decisions are more about an ideological position than they are about genuinely stimulating the economy. If you speak to people on the street they will comment with disapproval and then move on.
How should Labour activists respond to this? First and foremost, I believe that Labour party members and activists should be leading campaigns on these issues. Local issues and local campaigns will make a difference to the way that we are conceived locally.
Recently we have organised a campaign against toilet closures in Charnwood borough (a Tory run borough council) – the response has amazed me and it’s true to say that people respond well to a genuine thought-through campaign. Loughborough is a Tory/Labour marginal.
The Tories on the council, have recently taken the decision to close public toilets all across the borough (with the exception of Loughborough town centre). We have decided to take the fight to them on this, by running the ‘Save our Loos’ campaign. Standing in Loughborough town centre on a Saturday morning, we collected over 1000 signatures in just two hours. People were willing to talk to us and engage in a way that they simply didn’t during the general election campaign. When frontline services are under threat people want to respond. Only one person refused to sign because it was a “Labour run” petition. Can you imagine a time during an election campaign where only one person refuses to talk to you because you’re Labour?
Some people say you shouldn’t make a local campaign political. My answer to that is “why not?” When the government or local council is Tory or Liberal run we have no choice but to make it as political as we possibly can. Sending messages about what sets us apart is important. When it relates to cuts to services (whether BSF or toilets), we can start spreading the message about how we would do things differently.
Ensuring these messages get through to people is doubly important. Petitions, campaigns demanding reinstatement of BSF money would be a great starting point. Ensuring these petitions and campaigns are organised by “XXXXX – your local Labour party, campaigner etc.” is doubly important. People will put national prejudices aside when we are campaigning positively on local issues. That has to be the first step towards letting people know that the local Labour party are seen as “local champions.” I believe that that is the first step towards winning, gaining and retaining seats – whether at a local or national level. You can have as many meetings as you want about policy and party direction, but ultimately, engaging with local people on local issues will have a longer lasting effect on the way the Labour party is perceived when we take the fight to the coalition all over the country.