Labour’s story must match our actions

4 min read2 hr

The incredible work this government has done deserves a stronger narrative. My party must get better at communicating.

While new governments are rarely, if ever, able to quickly meet the expectations of the electorate, some of the criticism this Labour government has faced has been down to how we have communicated our decisions and we must all do better.

Voters want to know our motive and mission, not just a long list of actions and deliverables, however impressive they are.

People want to see change, to feel change. That means a narrative and a story people can relate to and be part of, something that isn’t possible in any announcement that begins, “billions of pounds.”

It is incredible looking back on the list of things delivered by this Labour government. Proper pay for frontline staff so they can look after us; compensation for victims of the infected blood scandal, Post Office Horizon and those from the LGBT community who suffered discrimination in our armed forces; investment in renewable electricity and energy security; a more effective immigration system; fixing the injustice of the Mineworkers Pension Scheme; and committing more funding to support Ukraine.

The government has also made difficult but necessary decisions such as on winter fuel payments and WASPI compensation.

The reason, I believe, the latter two decisions have overshadowed the incredible good work is that we have not clearly communicated a sense of purpose or mission. We cannot expect the public to join the dots and discern our mission on their own. We must be clearer.

The most frustrating thing is there is a narrative through our actions, and it’s an overwhelmingly positive one that voters support.

I see a generational shift in the decisions this government has taken, supporting those that are going to come after us, who are going to build the future of this country, while asking those who can afford it to make small sacrifices so their children and grandchildren have the same opportunities to aspire and succeed that they had.

This government should unashamedly say we are focussing our efforts on the next generation. After being slammed by external forces from the financial crash to the pandemic, the opportunity gap between those who left the workforce in the mid-2000s and those who joined at the same time, as well as those who have followed, is gaping and ever-widening.

Life is harder, less affordable and with little to no security to look forward to in their own retirement. We must change that and we must start now. They deserve it and our country needs it.

To older people I would say, we will always protect the most vulnerable no matter their age but our focus is on making sure your children, your grandchildren, have the same opportunities you had. They will not have that unless we change now. Will you help us?

We will make sure public service staff are properly paid; they are younger, critical to our future, and look after the most vulnerable people in our society and we cannot afford to lose them. We will invest in energy security so people never suffer the same erratic bills older generations have. Our economic investment will be linked to skills so young people in the UK have the opportunity to learn and train with a secure, well-paying job. We will tackle climate change, even if that means short-term costs because stability and peace in the future depend on it. We will build more homes to help younger people and, yes, that might impact the value of existing properties.

Our society is aging quickly so we will fix social care because others have failed to do so, even if that means changes to what you were expecting and how it is paid for. We are going to have critical infrastructure under national control so it can benefit and support entrepreneurs and growth rather than see profit exported.

None of this is easy to do but we must build a clear narrative now that fits every decision we take. We are on a mission for the next generation. This decision is part of that mission. That is why we have taken it.

Graeme Downie is the Labour MP for Dunfermline & Dollar.

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