‘You’re all the same!’ or ‘They’re all a bunch of lying, thieving b****rds!’ are phrases I hear every time I go out on the doorstep, and phrases I am sure all Labour party activists have heard before. But they are more than just the words of a bitter angry man or woman, they are a symptom of an issue that has grown throughout society over the past 20 years. No one trusts politicians any more.
I believe this lack of trust stems from the fact that we, the Labour party, are no longer relevant to the people we wish to represent. In many areas across the country we have lost the campaigning culture that has served us so well in London. We have forgotten that our role within society is not just to represent the public in Westminster or the town hall, our role is to listen to the community, act on what the community say and become part of it. But in order to do this we need to talk to people. If we continue to fail to communicate with communities in our safe seats, it will not be long before they are no longer safe.
So how do we win back the trust of a disillusioned electorate? The answer is not simple. It is a matter of a change in culture within the Labour party, but here are three suggestions that I believe can go along way to reconnecting us with the community.
- Canvassing (voter ID) targets
VID targets enforced by regional Labour parties are part of the key seat deal, in exchange for money and resources key seat candidates are required to achieve certain VID targets. But why only key seats? Shouldn’t these targets not only be in place in key seats but should become the standard for all Labour held and target seats? We should all have VID targets, monitored by the Labour party and enforced by the Labour party. Too often a by-election occurs and it is only then we realise that little work has been done for 10 to 20 years. If we are only going to stand on the doorstep when we want something from the voters is it surprising that they are cynical and disinclined to engage?
- Open primaries
One of the common complaints is that party politics is like a private members club, even more so where there is little campaigning activity, where outsiders are treated with mistrust and often made to feel like they are not wanted (something I have experienced personally in a safe seat where I have volunteered). Our candidates, the people we wish to represent our communities, are often selected by a small proportion of the constituency with power wielded by a few prominent members. We should tear down this aged practice, open up the ‘private members club’ and, where the Labour party membership numbers less than one per cent of the Labour vote at the last election, we should hold open primaries, where our selection process is clear, transparent and democratic. Give the electorate the opportunity to choose their candidate, and they will feel more of a connection to them.
- We need to campaign every year like there is an election
Year-round, continuous, campaigning of the likes demonstrated in Birmingham Edgbaston is a superb example of this. By showing a continuous presence in the community you can build a solid local reputation of a party that cares about the community its in. This is achieved by some fairly simple steps:
- Try to knock on every door in your constituency once a year. You may not speak to everyone but a calling card through the letter box every year shows that you were there and builds a connection with the electorate;
- Follow up on your casework successes – call the constituent, see how they are doing and if there is anything further you can do. Though this seems obvious, this human touch will go a long way to building your reputation within the community;
- Keep your constituents up to date with your work locally and nationally. Andy Slaughter (MP for Hammersmith) and Andrew Dismore (PPC for Hendon) are great examples of this. They have collected huge numbers of emails and they regularly update their constituents on what they and the party have done and is doing for them. This is low-cost and effective.
These ideas will not solve the problems we are experiencing in some of our ‘safe’ seats as they will only be solved once there has been a change in culture. We should never approach a seat as safe or ‘in the bag’. To do so is an insult to the electorate – we must work for every vote. This is not to say we should abandon the key seat plan – we shouldn’t – and this is not saying that we should retreat to our heartlands and abandon our efforts to win the next election. We must redouble our efforts in our key seats and go all out to win in 2015, but on 8 May 2015 we need to focus on fixing some problems in our party that have for too long been allowed to fester.
and then you totally ignore the voter.ms flint on QT saying ‘we are all living longer’ another attack on the elderly.labour are treating us like we are a burden.my woman mp doesn’t know what our doorsteps are.she’s never been anywhere near since she was elected.
ms flint another southerner whose in a northern seat.what labour mp knows what austerity.the ‘posh’ boys,and girls in the shadow cabinet have’nt a clue.there’s one whose descended from uk aristocracy,.the present labour party are out of touch,career politicians who have used the northern heartlands just to get themselves onto the ‘gravy train’.they are also fed up of the talking heads calling ALL baby boomers for being on the ‘gravy train’.labour are no different of the tories or lib dems.
the baby boomers did’nt cause the economic meltdown in 2008,it was the banks,politicians.mp’s are getting 11% increase in april,and yesterday mp’s who earn monies from second jobs.no we the people have had enough.YOU WORK FOR US.
I think you’ll find that Caroline Flint is married to a man from Sprotborough.
I found that my local [Labour] MP to be most helpful when I lived in Stoke, to any and all queries I sent by Royal Mail or e.mail. Since moving south, the MP I have now is Tory and is hardly ever around, so I understand your concerns. I personally don’t fancy any +unannounced-doorstep-chat+ with my, or any MP. If I need to see him or her face2face I book an appointment to attend one of his or her weekly ‘surgeries’ on a Saturday morning. IMHO, for an MP to see every constituent on their doorsteps personally would entail an MP using about 25 pairs of shoes and is not a logistical option.
There are some matters I even leave to my local Parish or Borough councillor to sort out – but staying in an area where there is no Labour Cllr I tend to go the e.mail route to Labour Head Office – I admit, this is not always successful, as my CLP is in another unitary area/County. No not India, but you get the drift [?]
Hope this helps, just sayin’ as I have empathy for your plight – you and hundreds of ‘000s of Labour voters are in the same ‘boat’. Maybe hon Flint MP, when she not so active in the field of WM may read this and reply to you ersonally. But they are very busy at the moment getting all their Ducks in a Row in prep’ for next years’ GE-Fest. We the voters, as usual, must wait our turn in the queue.
The pen is mightier than the sword and Advertising pays. Apart from Daily Mirror, [I bought a copy by mistake from news’ agent stand in late ’70s] and a few local ad’-oriented ‘rags’ around the UK Isles, whose editors support Labour,conservative Tories have Editorial backing from most of the mainstream printpress, viz, FT, DM. Murdoch’s papers, Sunday glossies, etc] and LibDems have a tacit nod-is-as-good-as-a-wink from Guardian – kell-soopreeze.
Unless or until a tactical Battle-Plan committee up at LHQ recognises the power of the press, and the truth in the adage: *Advertiing Pays*, next year’s 2015 GE win for Labour will be by a nose, only.
Mr Blair and his press liaisons knew this – power of the press to influence Public opinion — and knew the importance of a PR image-maker. Mandy was the best as he had/has natural instincts vis a vis political flair and what attracts the Public’s grace. Supping with Devil press Barons [and Baronesses] may require one holding one’s breath – as the stench of dead loyalties and abandoned promises linger – can be offset by using a long spoon and offering free hamburgers at Mac Donalds for life.
And knowing that a clear majority will stifle any impulse for LHQ chiefs to contemplate a coalition with any other political grouping whose Biro ran out of ink years’ ago, vide Lib Dems.
Some scribes telegraph their opinions via eg, Guardian from a purely vindictive and hissy perspective ref the split in Labour’s ranks at top level. LHQ bickering could be kept to a low-massacre level during the run-up to 2015 GE and the follow-on 2016 one in Scotland.
The walls [still] have ears… Very Big [cyber] Ears.
The advice pointers [above] can’t be faulted – all taken out ‘Sales-Tips-for-Beginner’ by Nigel F. Surprises me this basic format is not already standard practice/reading for all PPCs and all levels of Labour’s parish/borough councillors and MPs? Seems that Messrs Cameron , make-the-tea- Clegg, SNP, ukip [may] have a head-start on Labour? crikey, some things never cease to amaze me…. HOW TO WIN? PUT JOBS AND VOTERS FIRST – the three ‘P’s : People, Policy, Politics.
My MP has been doing this for last few years – Ashfield CLP. Whether it works in a very marginal seat & local tory councillors, remains to be seen. But it won’t be for want of trying.
I do think more should be done by email, but it is difficult (impossible?) to get hold of constituents’ email addresses. How have others done this?