Leading the way – How Labour can begin to reinvigorate social democrats across Europe Across Europe, we are seeing the loss of influence of progressive, social democratic parties. It is time for Labour to be at the forefront of restating the values that re-engages those of us on the left. This requires more soul searching and honesty than at [...]
A double-whammy in The Guardian today from Harriet Harman and John Prescott: a surge in Labour membership, but we have to harness this new support: ‘Harriet Harman, the interim Labour leader, says a new breed of young political activist, committed to opposing the coalition government and the Liberal Democrats in particular, is joining Labour at a rate of 1,000 a [...]
Rebuilding Labour’s reputation in Bermondsey In 2002, Labour didn’t win a single seat in Bermondsey & Old Southwark and lost control of the council. In 2010, we reclaimed six seats and delivered a Labour majority. We have shown how a bottom-up campaign, led by local members working in the community can rebuild Labour’s reputation with the electorate. Change wasn’t easy. [...]
The somewhat surprising news from one constituency is that people are joining the party again, a contrast with the common view of the continuing decline in membership. One activist has recruited 10 new members (against a target of 50! By the by, how useful is that target? Has he failed or has he succeeded? Is he more or less motivated? [...]
During the election campaign, each and every poll showed Labour losing Aberdeen South, and yet, on the night, Labour’s majority increased from 1348 to 3506, with a 36.53% share of the vote, on an increased turn out of 67.2%. When asked how she accounts for her re-election, the answer Anne Begg, the MP for Aberdeen South, gives is, “13 years [...]
Labour now has a rare opportunity to build a new thriving base of support, enabling it to develop both an effective and inspiring governing alternative and to win the next election. The key is to understand and harness the dynamics of self-organisation and to concentrate on creating networks between and within different communities. Events, such as electoral victory, are the [...]
I visited the constituency of Liverpool Wavertree for a couple of days during the general election campaign to help out, and was very encouraged by what I saw. Like many seats, Wavertree had been Labour since 1997 but faced a new threat in 2010, with the Lib Dems making it their key North West target. Things did not go as [...]
We have two challenges to face up to over the coming months. We need to renew our party and reconnect with the country. In the past, these goals were mutually exclusive. Renewal meant looking inwards; more time for internal meetings and less time for conversations on the door-step. This corroded the culture of our party. Discipline was preferred to dialogue [...]
In the wake of a historic election defeat, it would be tempting for the Labour Party to seek out “quick fixes” – campaigning strategies that could deliver election victories in three and a half short weeks. The lesson from Copeland is that elections aren’t won in a short campaign: they are the product of doing politics properly over the long [...]
We all know the best way to communicate is face to face. Candidates who seen in the local community do best in the long term. Leaflets are a poor substitute for two-way communication. When they’re pushed through the door furtively, they get chucked in the bin with a pizza leaflet. But in most campaigns, it is important to put something [...]