In the Labour Party we have a long and distinguished history of campaigning and pulling together in whatever ways possible so that we achieve the best possible results in elections. Thanks to the tireless efforts of party members up and down the country, the last two landslide elections are proof that we, as an organisation, can effectively campaign to win.
But campaigning is about more that just winning elections. It’s about engaging party members as well as the general public at large. It’s about conveying the government’s message – the Labour Party’s message. When the daily medium we have to communicate with both party members and the general public is the broadcast and written media, it is more important than ever that we campaign to get our message across and make it clear what our policies are and where we are going.
When I was promoted Chair of the party in June 2001, one of my first objectives was to set up the Parliamentary Campaign Team. My aim in setting up the team was to ensure that it involved as many of the Labour Party’s component parts as possible. The team is therefore structured with regional as well as subject convenors and has representatives from local government, the Lords, the unions and the European Parliament. We need to pull together as broad a bank of experience and networks as possible.
The Parliamentary Campaign Team’s overriding objective is to act a tool to collect the wealth of ideas, best practice and experience that already exists and disseminate this throughout the party via MPs.
The specific aims of the PCT are as follows. First, to support the campaigning role of MPs – through regional campaign plans; electoral support; visits (ministerial visits and contact programmes for CLPs) and party membership development. Second, to facilitate policy campaigns. Third, to develop best practice and new campaigning initiatives and techniques.
So far the work of the team has focused upon three specific areas. First, regional convenors, working with the regional directors, have recently completed a regional campaigning plan which covers electoral challenges in May 2002, membership development, policy and ministerial visits. This plan provides a blueprint for campaigning in each region over the next seven months. This period covers the local elections in May and has provided a key seat grid for each region, which will be the focus of much of the support for campaigning in the period from now until May.
Second, the team is looking at party membership and how this can be developed. Through the regional campaign plans we have identified ‘clusters of seats’ where we will focus our attention on revitalising party membership and activity. We are working closely with party headquarters, who are developing more accurate and proactive approaches to engage in this area.
Finally, subject convenors will shortly be developing, in dialogue with their respective departments, a policy campaign pack, to help MPs campaign with party members in their own constituencies. The team will start by focusing on the key delivery areas followed by issues such as international development along with strategies on engaging youth and students and responding to opposition threats.
The team has set itself ambitious targets and started a much more strategic way of looking at campaigning. But our success depends on the support of party members on the ground. It is party members that do much of the legwork and we can learn from your experiences and knowledge. If you would like to have an input, feel free to contact your regional convenor.