n Parliament, we held a very successful seminar with our Advisory Council members Emma Lewell-Buck MP, Paul Embery, and Lord Maurice Glasman – the room was packed with Labour supporters dedicated to ensuring our party remains focused on the working people of the UK.
Everyone in the room agreed – we must do more for voters who want real action after 14 years of Tory failure.
Yet nearly one year into government, we have been trounced by Reform in the local elections and have yet to sell the real wins that Labour is delivering.
Without action, we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past and voters will not forgive inaction.
There is real anger in the country over the cost of living and the perception that Labour is making that situation worse by taking away the winter fuel allowance when energy prices are increasing, by cutting welfare benefits when prices are high and by raising taxes on small businesses on top of the highest business taxes inherited by the last government.
Emma Lewell-Buck spoke about how our decisions on winter fuel allowance come up time and time again on the doorstep – “Winter fuel came up time and time again on the doors. It’s totemic, it’s not something people expected us to do.”
“They trusted us, they put their faith in us after 14 years of the Tories messing things up, they thought we know your values and we trust you. We broke their trust and to get that trust back is going to be really, really hard.”
Paul Embery, a dedicated trade unionist and Labour Future Advisory Council member hit the nail on the head saying “I think we’re up against a clock to a certain degree. We’re not going to get long with the electorate to show we’re turning things around.”
It is clear the British people want change after 14 years of Tory failure – and Prime Minister Keir Starker has a golden opportunity to show what a real Labour government can deliver.
However, Reform is the threat – not the Conservatives. Nigel Farage’s operation is a sophisticated social media first operation which cannot be ignored any longer.
They are raw populists, promising anything to gain every vote with no ability to deliver or concern for the long-term health of our nation.
Reform are seen as the ‘fun party’ standing against Labour. Our Health team led by Wes Streeting is pushing ahead with bans on smoking and vaping whilst waiting lists creep back up after months of decline.
Our Treasury team led by Chancellor Rachel Reeves focused on welfare cuts allowing Reform to go door-to-door reminding voters of this self-inflicted wound.
Our Lords team led by Baroness Smith has still yet to pass the abolition of Hereditary Peers almost one year on from our election promise to get rid of them.
If Labour is to win again it must relentlessly focus on the following three policy areas:
– Bringing down NHS waiting lists and increasing standards in the NHS.
– Resolute drive for economic growth, ultimately leading to lower taxation and higher living standards.
– Bringing down illegal immigration and the overall migration into the UK.
We will be hosting another event in the next few weeks, to galvanise supporters around our core mission – get Labour in a position to win the next election.
