The saying goes that today’s newspapers are tomorrow’s fish and chip wrappers. Perhaps the apotheosis of this dictum will be the recent defection of Luke Bozier to the Tories. Bozier’s defection was followed by a flurry of newspaper stories and a veritable storm on Twitter.
Bozier seems to have felt that Labour were no longer pro-business or committed to public service reform. On both these counts Labour members and supporters should have reason to pause for thought.
As the party that really believes in public services Labour must also be committed to ensuring that they provide the best possible service to meet the needs of the public. In government, New Labour embarked on an ambitious programme of reform to public services, and no one can accuse it of having been timid in the pursuit of better public services. One of the great weaknesses of the Labour left has been its failure to develop a compelling alternative approach to reform of public services, instead appearing to simply defend the status quo. This left it open to the charge that in Blair’s words those on the left opposed to New Labour’s public services reforms represented the ‘forces of conservatism’. The real Conservatives, now in power, are also carrying out extensive reforms to public services. In response Labour must develop an alternative reform programme that is in tune with Labour values and will raise the quality of public services. Such an agenda does not require advocating the total reorganisation of public services every few years, but Labour does need to go to the electorate saying something more than ‘we will keep public services the same’. Bozier’s defection should spur Labour on to prove that it, not the Tories, offers the right and best approach to public services reform.
During his time as a Labour member, Luke Bozier, along with former LabourList editor Alex Smith, set up Labour’s Business, which in their words was ‘a collection of thoughts for how Labour can become the party of business in the twenty-first century’. Labour’s Business is a practical effort to develop ideas of how Labour could ensure it is the party of business and entrepreneurship. That is important not for its own sake but because a successful business sector is vital to a thriving economy which provides opportunity and jobs. Labour should support the business sector not despite our values but because of them: a vibrant business sector can be a vital driver of equality and opportunity. Luke Bozier seems to have misunderstood Ed Miliband’s Labour party conference speech where he talked of ‘predators’ and ‘producers’ in business. Ed Miliband was not trying to be anti-business but simply saying that we should support the vast majority of businesses that produce wealth and act responsibly. Nonetheless, Bozier is right that Labour needs to improve its record and engagement with business. It was disheartening that at the recent Fabian Society conference a deputy head teacher who advocated stronger links between business and schools got a rather hostile reception. While there is no doubt that there have been massive failures by business in recent years which led to the financial crisis, that does not mean that all businesses are bad or that Labour should not engage with the business sector. In fact, quite the opposite. Labour should redouble its efforts to engage with businesses both to make sure we get regulation right so as to avoid a future financial crisis and to create the growth that the economy needs.
Changing party is not a decision that most people take lightly, so it behoves us to spend some time pondering the reasons why someone defects to another party. I don’t believe that on either public service reform or business the Tories offer a better prospect than Labour. Luke Bozier thinks differently and we need to prove him wrong. No doubt Bozier’s words will contribute to some fine fish and chip wrappers, but Labour should not forget him so easily.
——————————————————————————–
Omar Salem is a Labour party member in Hampstead and Kilburn
——————————————————————————–
well its a career move isn’t it, must be so many in Politics for same reason ! But the Labour party is surely here first and foremost as defender of the faith … that all men are created equal.
Mmmh. This (the Luke Bozier stuff) is probably of *real* interest to about 100 people. Maybe 200 thanks to twitter. Even if I’m wrong by a factor of 10, this is still irrelevant.
Of all the reasons I am a member of the Labour party, showing Luke Bozier why he is wrong is not one of them.
And I know you could argue that if this gets some people motivated to improve the party and it’s work with business, then it’s a good thing. But I disagree wholeheartedly. Incentives are important, particularly at the margins, and if you think this is an important incentive, you will achieve a perverse outcome to what really matters to the millions of people in this country who have never heard of Luke Bozier. Or Progress for that matter.
So what – to paraphrase…how many divisions does Luke Bozier have?
This is such Westminster mile stuff, no one cares who this guy is? He clearly has an eye for the press and a high opinion of himself by announcing his defection in such a way, good luck to him.
Not a blow to the Labour party and I’m boring myself by even writing this.
I “know” who Luke Bozier is and think he would have defected to the tories regardless of Ed Miliband’s conference speech. His reason for leaving probably has more to do with him realising it’s easier for him to make a political career for himself as a tory where ever it is that he lives, than it is about any deep or meaningful thought about Labour’s business engagement.
Heartening to see so many comments of the ‘who is Bozier’ variety. A legend in his own lunchbox.
But how depressing that an article which is ostensibly about how Labour should be the party of public service improvement, offers no suggestions whatsoever. It doesnt even do any hard thinking about what improving public services might mean for Labour. At the very least you could have made a nod in the direction of Ed’s ‘ how do we make improvements in times of austerity’ stuff!
Thanks for the comments.
John – I understand your point that there are other reasons to be a member of Labour party than to show Luke Bozier that he’s wrong, and that we should avoid perverse incentives but I would ask you whether or not the issues of public service reform and Labour’s engagement with business are important on their own merits. If that is the case, then surely the fact that Luke Bozier’s defection has highlighted these issues should not be a reason to ignore them?
Theo – Luke Bozier’s defection may not be of interest outside the Westminster village but I think the issues the defection highlighted are.
JT/Gisajob – I cannot know for certain what motivated Luke Bozier to join the Tories, but this does not mean the issues he highlighted by doing so are not important.
Sorry if the above is a little repetitive!
Thanks for your comment MattF, which makes a valid criticism.
Some of the things I would like to see us debating on public services reform are: enhancing the democratic accountability of public services, increasing the role of cooperatives and mutuals in the delivery of public services, improving public engagement in the design and delivery of public services, a serious push on public health including a better understanding of how to change behaviour for the better, better and broader metrics for evaluating public services (e.g. wellbeing/happiness, environmental impact etc), exploration of how public services can strengthen family and community bonds, a readiness to be more localist and devolve power, and a settlement on care services that ensures dignity in old age for all. I would also like to see all public sector workers paid the living wage and an expansion of the supply of affordable housing.
The point of the article though wasn’t to give you my personal views on the individual issues, but rather to point out the Luke Bozier’s defection highlights the need to discuss them.
Thanks for your comment MattF, which makes a valid criticism.
Some of the things I would like to see us debating on public services reform are: enhancing the democratic accountability of public services, increasing the role of cooperatives and mutuals in the delivery of public services, improving public engagement in the design and delivery of public services, a serious push on public health including a better understanding of how to change behaviour for the better, better and broader metrics for evaluating public services (e.g. wellbeing/happiness, environmental impact etc), exploration of how public services can strengthen family and community bonds, a readiness to be more localist and devolve power, and a settlement on care services that ensures dignity in old age for all. I would also like to see all public sector workers paid the living wage and an expansion of the supply of affordable housing.
The point of the article though wasn’t to give you my personal views on the individual issues, but rather to point out the Luke Bozier’s defection highlights the need to discuss them.
“One of the great weaknesses of the Labour left has been its failure to develop a compelling alternative approach to reform of public services, instead appearing to simply defend the status quo.”
Eh? Compass put out an absolute tonne of stuff on co-production and on post office reform at the time.
A bit revisionist surely, Omar?
Tom – perhaps I should have added ‘and communicate it’. Compass has done lots of good work, not least on co-production and post office reform , but it remains the case that public service reform is not a concept that is strongly associated with the Labour left. It just hasn’t cut through in the same way as on other issues (e.g. high pay).
I for one am not in the slightest bit interested in Luke Bozier. I’m sure he’s a perfectly decent man and I wish him all the best in his new party. I don’t think his defection is important. It’s important that Labour understands business and its importance to all of us, but does not mollycoddle business. It’s important that the Labour Party sets out a vision of a better, fairer society in which the economy benefits ordinary people. Gone are the days where we can use ‘third way’ politics to achieve our progressive ends. Time for a re-think. Some people are not up for this, but most of us are. My thoughts on Labour’s role in a time of (potential) decline – http://labourlist.org/2011/12/labour-can-ensure-that-all-neednt-be-lost-in-the-lost-decades/
@JohnSlinger
John Slinger – Thanks for your comment and the link to your article, which was very interesting. I agree that our aim shouldn’t be to wind the clock back but to build a more equitable, diversified and sustainable economy. I still think that growth will be an important element of a successful future economy, but we also have to prepared to think about how to advance progressive values in an economy with no or low growth. I agree on the need to invest in more housing, although I am not sure that quantitative easing is the way to do this. Another option might be through a ‘British Investment Bank’: http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/01/british-investment-bank/
He should be hunted down like a mad dog. Who is he, again?
Remember him?!? Like most people, I’d never heard of him before.
Now I only know him for one reason – being a traitor to a party that gave him a job. Admittedly a rather junior and unimportant job. Perhaps we overlooked his obvious great skill at self-publicising and sense of self-importance.
Frankly, I’d be surprised to learn that Luke Bozier is a household name in his own household. It does remind me of the words to a song that perhaps a few more at Progress ought to learn:
“While cowards flinch and traitors sneer
We’ll keep the red flag flying here.”
Jackie – I don’t think that just because you have worked for a political party you should be bound to be a member of that party for ever more.
John – As an aside, regarding your estimate of how many people are interested in this story, Luke Bozier’s blog got more than 10,000 unique visitors in two days following his defection (http://statementtofollow.com/change-party-you-might-think-i-murdered-somebody/).
Luke Bozier was a Tory never a Blairite. He even attacked the Blair government for spending too much money.
I wonder who is backing him (el Lukko ) and Louise /covergirl/Mensch in their rival Twitter launch – oh I’d better not menshn !