Labour in local government is credible, relevant, and wins elections. Those are the words of Leeds city council’s deputy leader James Lewis, and I could not put it better myself. When we can describe Labour nationally in the same way, we will know we have got it right.
The lesson of the 2010 and 2015 election defeats is that Labour is none of these things. The Beckett review said we lost because voters did not trust us on the economy, immigration, welfare or leadership. Those were the issues that mattered to voters, and we failed to convince. By contrast, on the issues that matter in local government we are very convincing indeed.
Our Labour councils talk about and do the things that matter most to local people. They are building more council and affordable homes than we have seen for years. They are regulating substandard private landlords. They are regenerating their towns and cities to bring in new jobs and investment. And they are leading the way on better pay with the living wage and tackling the scandal of low pay in the care sector. Jobs and homes are fundamental concerns for the electorate, and Labour councils are acting on that.
Our councils have proved they are responsible with public money. Despite suffering far higher levels of funding reductions that Tory councils, Labour has worked hard to protect the services that matter most to local people. Every Labour council has set a balanced budget and kept council tax as low as possible. But they have also been at the forefront of innovation. Plymouth has set up dozens of community energy generation co-operatives. Rochdale has mutualised its entire housing stock to give tenants a real stake in ownership. Oldham has set up an ethical care company that provides better care for older people and better terms and conditions for care workers.
What really strikes you when listening to our council leaders is their strong sense of pride in their areas. Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson could not be more Liverpool if he tried. Manchester brought the Commonwealth Games to their city. And Leeds was proud to host the Tour de France. This sense of Labour being proud of and part of people’s identity is important in winning electoral support. It shows people you care deeply about them and their community. Labour shares that same unequivocal sense of pride in our national identity too; we need to show it more clearly.
There has been a gulf between Labour nationally and locally for far too long. Councillors complained when the last Labour government was not building enough new homes. They were right. They were frustrated when, under the two Eds, the national party dragged its feet on devolution while local Labour forged ahead. Again, they were right. Today they will tell us we need to stop talking about things that do not concern the voters and start reconnecting on the issues that matter. Again, they are right. Labour councils have shown by their actions that when Labour’s in touch with the voters, we win.
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Steve Reed MP is shadow minister for local government. He tweets @SteveReedMP
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Listen again to:
Blueprint for government: What should Labour learn from its civic leaders? at Labour Local Government Conference 2016
1-2pm, Saturday 6 February 2016
Room 1, East Midlands Conference Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RJ
Sarah Hayward Leader, London borough of Camden
Sharon Taylor Leader, Stevenage borough council
James Lewis Deputy leader, Leeds city council
Reply: Steve Reed MP Shadow minister for local government
Chair: Tristram Hunt MP Chair, parliamentary Labour party departmental committee for communities and local government