Elections are won from the centre. Tony Blair knew this, as does the majority of the Labour movement. It is hardly controversial to say that a lurch back towards being a big spending, class-obsessed party will lead us to ruin. We owe it to the British public to be smarter and more radical.
With this in mind, Labour’s 2015 policy platform, which builds on the important work of Jon Cruddas and Andrew Adonis, should be commended. There have been very few significant ‘lurches to the left’ in policy, only intelligent market interventions – most of which are both necessary and supported by public opinion.
In fact, the number of popular, progressive centre-ground policies makes it a travesty that we are not coasting to victory. On the economy, do many everyday people deny the need to cut the deficit, or dislike the idea of a fully costed manifesto? On welfare, few argue that fit-to-work individuals who decline jobs should still receive benefits, or equally that they should be denied an opportunity to train. Who can say that we should not tackle exploitation of migrant Labour or encourage employers to offer apprenticeships to young locals? How can we decline the opportunity to tackle vested interests and tax avoidance? Or to intervene in the failing housing market? A mansion tax to fund our health service, action on rising rents and the building of new homes appeal to middle-income parents as much as anyone else. Meanwhile regional devolution, the drive towards people-centred public services and commitments to tackle low pay build on the work of New Labour. It does not matter if you are a Labourite, a swing voter or completely anti-politics, the most sensible path for Britain will be outlined in Ed Miliband’s manifesto.
The problem, therefore, is not in the policies but in the messaging. Too often our communication has led to public perceptions that we are further to the left than we actually are. The consequences are evident, for example, if you compare perceptions of similar speeches about responsible capitalism by Miliband and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney. So just how can Miliband effectively use communication to gain support for his policies and define the One Nation era?
To answer this Ed need look no further than the 2012 annual conference and his 2013 Fabians address where he spoke passionately of rights and responsibilities. ‘Rights and responsibilities for all’ has always been at the heart of Labour politics since 2010. Just like many current policies the phrase can be found in Progress’ Purple Book, conveniently this time under the chapter ‘One Nation Labour.’ But instead of putting it at the centre of One Nation it seems to have been sidelined in favour of more traditional left-leaning terminology that can appear to divide rich and poor.
Miliband needs to illustrate how the rights and responsibilities of citizens drive our policy offer. He has intelligently used the phrase ‘something for something culture’ but ‘right and responsibilities’ casts a wider net. It speaks to the aspirational parent anxious for their child to become independent and seize their opportunities, just as it speaks to the low-income would-be United Kingdom Independence party voter concerned about the changing world and others getting ‘something for nothing’. It tells the public that the successful business owner has the right to become wealthy, but that we are serious about their broader responsibility to support society and pay fair taxes. It talks about the right for the young unemployed to have access to training, but that it is their responsibility to seize the opportunity and not rely on benefits. It shows that the vast majority of immigrants who contribute responsibly will be welcomed, but that those who don’t will not enjoy the same rights. And for all those in Britain who work hard and pay taxes, they have a right to a living wage, an excellent NHS and so much more.
‘Rights and responsibilities for all’ points to the balance between individual liberty and shared security that the British public desire, and defines the centre ground of British politics today. Along with talking tough on the economy, rights and responsibilities can help to define Labour in 2015.
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Joe Jervis works is in the external relations team of a London-based charity. He tweets @joejervis89
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