Keir Starmer

[Vincent Vega]

I thought was a pretty interesting piece from Rachel Sylvester of The Times today on the direction Starmer may be heading in.

 

Labour needs to woo the new working class

 

There are signs that Starmer will ditch the Corbynistas’ social stereotypes in favour of practical, family-friendly policies

Rachel Sylvester

 

Tuesday May 05 2020, 12.01am, The Times

 

It is 20 years since Tony Blair declared that “the class war is over” and 30 years since John Major promised to create a “classless society”. John Prescott, the former ship’s steward who became deputy prime minister, proclaimed confidently in 1997 that “we are all middle class now” but politics is still dominated to an extraordinary extent by the social divisions in Britain.

 

Emily Maitlis’s recent Newsnight introduction in which she insisted that the coronavirus “is not a great leveller, the consequences of which everyone — rich or poor — suffers the same” went viral. The Labour leadership contest became a competition between the candidates to prove they had the humblest background. The Brexit vote was driven by class differences, with middle-class voters more likely to support Remain and working-class people more attracted to Leave. The same cultural and economic split was behind last year’s election result when the Tories were for the first time more popular among working-class voters. According to YouGov, 48 per cent of those in social classes C2DE voted for Boris Johnson while only 43 per cent of ABC1s did.

 

Class war is in fact alive and well at Westminster. During the 2008 Crewe & Nantwich by-election, Labour activists dressed in top hats and tails to ridicule the Tory candidate. Gordon Brown claimed that the Conservatives’ inheritance tax policy had been “dreamt up on the playing fields of Eton” while last year the Labour conference voted to abolish private schools.

 

Winston Churchill once said that “the driving force of socialism is class hatred and envy” but in fact this battle cuts across party divides. It was a Conservative MP, Nadine Dorries (now a health minister), who attacked David Cameron and George Osborne as “two posh boys who don’t know the price of milk”. The influential group of “Blue Collar Tories” insists their leader must prioritise the aspirations of working-class voters, even if that means alienating the middle classes.

 

This is the territory on which the next election will be fought, particularly once the full economic impact of Covid-19 works its way through society, deepening the divides. Sir Keir Starmer knows that his party will never get back into power if it remains a liberal metropolitan clique, popular in Hampstead but out of touch with Hull. Last week he began a virtual tour of the many constitutencies that the party needs to regain, holding Zoom meetings in Bury and the Tees Valley. The departure of Jennie Formby as general secretary shows he is determined to have a clean break with the past. “His priority is to restore people’s trust in Labour as a party that will listen,” says an aide.

That means looking again at old class distinctions. The Labour leader has appointed Claire Ainsley, former executive director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, as his head of policy. It is one of his most interesting and significant decisions. Her 2018 book The New Working Class played a crucial role in shaping the Tories’ strategy for dismantling the “Red Wall” of northern and Midlands seats and it will provide a road map for Labour to regain this territory and rebuild a winning coalition.

 

Ainsley argues that politicians of all parties have misunderstood the shifting nature of class identity. The “traditional” working class — predominantly older, male, manual workers — represents only about 14 per cent of the population. There is a much larger group of low-paid workers, including call centre employees, carers, delivery drivers and cleaners, who are younger, more likely to be women and also more ethnically diverse.

 

Some 19 per cent of the population fits into the emerging service workers category. A fifth are from a minority ethnic group (compared with 9 per cent of the traditional working class) and their average age is 32 (compared with 66). An additional 15 per cent of voters are part of the “precariat”, doing insecure jobs often on zero-hours contracts. Together this “new working class” makes up 48 per cent of the electorate yet the priorities of these voters have been overlooked. As Ainsley argues: “Social class is changing and political parties need to change too.”

 

The Labour policy chief identifies four key values that resonate with the new working class: family, fairness, hard work and decency. Her agenda is eclectic. She advocates new workers’ rights, such as sick pay for the self-employed and contract workers, and tax breaks for firms that provide job security, as well as a “family test” for all government policy. Instead of focusing on marriage, this should, she says, emphasise creating stability for all families through affordable housing and better early-years provision. “It is important not to assume that all parents want state-funded childcare, as some want the choice to stay at home.”

 

Under her blueprint there would be a hypothecated NHS tax, a social care insurance scheme, with rising payments as people age, and a greater contributory element to the welfare system. There would be a shift away from funding universities to vocational education. Although Labour’s pledge to scrap tuition fees was popular with young people, she writes that “a vast majority of the public support charging most students some kind of fees”.

 

Ainsley voted Remain but says Brexit should be seen as an opportunity, not a threat. There is a chance “to establish how the UK’s public purchasing power could be used more actively to support UK firms”, which could mean giving contracts to British businesses operating in areas that need a jobs boost, or putting social obligations on companies tendering. She backs a points-based immigration system, although not a salary cap that excludes care workers, insisting: “British national identity does have an important role to play but it needs to reflect the nation as we are.”

 

It’s an agenda that cuts across traditional ideological divides and although Sir Keir promised during the leadership contest to stick to Labour’s last manifesto pledges one shadow cabinet minister insists Covid-19 “changes everything”.

There is an anachronistic aspect to much of the debate on class. Jeremy Corbyn romanticised the miners, Peter Mandelson talked of the “horny-handed sons of toil” and Mr Johnson has been equally patronising with his populist attempt to play on people’s worst instincts on migration. The prime minister is riding high in the polls but that may not last.

 

The low-paid workers highlighted by Ainsley are the heroes of the coronavirus crisis yet they are under-represented by the political system. One ally of the Labour leader says: “There’s a significant part of the electorate that the Tories don’t provide the solutions for and Labour hasn’t listened to for a long time. If we park ourselves on that lawn it could work in Sedgefield but also in Swindon.” For Sir Keir, the key to No 10 is held by the new working class.

[sir roger]

Maybe I am not getting the thrust of the article , but I am sure that Labour did well with the younger members of society and minorities ( other than the Jewish and some Indian communities ) and Corbyn specifically attacked the poor practices of the gig economy and lobbied for better treatment of such workers constantly through the whole of his leadership.

[Scooby Dudek]

22 minutes ago, sir roger said:

Maybe I am not getting the thrust of the article , but I am sure that Labour did well with the younger members of society and minorities ( other than the Jewish and some Indian communities ) and Corbyn specifically attacked the poor practices of the gig economy and lobbied for better treatment of such workers constantly through the whole of his leadership.

That was my reading as well. 

Talking about affordable housing is hardly revolutionary, for either party. 

 

[Neil G]

1 hour ago, sir roger said:

Maybe I am not getting the thrust of the article , but I am sure that Labour did well with the younger members of society and minorities ( other than the Jewish and some Indian communities ) and Corbyn specifically attacked the poor practices of the gig economy and lobbied for better treatment of such workers constantly through the whole of his leadership.

Yes, the idea that Labour under Corbyn ignored this demographic doesn’t hold water.

 

The policy chief’s allusion to public opinion-led policymaking isn’t promising, ditto her “fund less of X so we can fund more of Y” thinking. Big Miliband era vibes there.

[VladimirIlyich]

2 hours ago, Neil G said:

Yes, the idea that Labour under Corbyn ignored this demographic doesn’t hold water.

 

The policy chief’s allusion to public opinion-led policymaking isn’t promising, ditto her “fund less of X so we can fund more of Y” thinking. Big Miliband era vibes there.

Labour cut into the demographic it needed to,better off and more liberal professional people yet lost out on its traditional core of voters,this is how convaluted the whole thing has become. Today's call centre workers are last century's miners and dockworkers yet these people don't seem to understand this. I am at a loss myself to understand what is happened and can only put it down to ignorance and poorer educational standards among the poorer electorate. Based on the experience I've seen with my own kids it seems that the education standards among even the working class kids has become very divided too. 

[Jairzinho]

1 minute ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Labour cut into the demographic it needed to,better off and more liberal professional people yet lost out on its traditional core of voters,this is how convaluted the whole thing has become. Today's call centre workers are last century's miners and dockworkers yet these people don't seem to understand this. I am at a loss myself to understand what is happened and can only put it down to ignorance and poorer educational standards among the poorer electorate. Based on the experience I've seen with my own kids it seems that the education standards among even the working class kids has become very divided too. 

Every single facet of society is geared towards the individual and against empathising and collectivising. 

 

Hence lots of people a month's wages away from a foodbank looking down rather than up.

 

It's utterly tragic.

[Section_31]

1 hour ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Labour cut into the demographic it needed to,better off and more liberal professional people yet lost out on its traditional core of voters,this is how convaluted the whole thing has become. Today's call centre workers are last century's miners and dockworkers yet these people don't seem to understand this. I am at a loss myself to understand what is happened and can only put it down to ignorance and poorer educational standards among the poorer electorate. Based on the experience I've seen with my own kids it seems that the education standards among even the working class kids has become very divided too. 

Don't forget they're not unionized by and large. The miners and dockers had a community fabric, organisers, mobilisers and leaders. They were made to feel that (and I hate the saying) they had skin in the game.

 

The working class are disenfranchised from politics like never before. 

[Dougie Do'ins]

12 hours ago, Dougie Do'ins said:

Starmer is due on GMB TV  within the next hour.

Anyone see him ? Any good ?

[Jairzinho]

No idea if this is all of it, Dougie -

 

 

[sir roger]

13 hours ago, Dougie Do'ins said:

Starmer is due on GMB TV  within the next hour.

Good to see it has unionised 

[Numero Veinticinco]

33 minutes ago, Dougie Do'ins said:

Anyone see him ? Any good ?

Meh, it was alright I suppose. It was pretty much as bland as every other GMTV interview that's ever happened. Getting into the minds of 'normal' people, I guess. * shrug *

[VladimirIlyich]

1 hour ago, Section_31 said:

Don't forget they're not unionized by and large. The miners and dockers had a community fabric, organisers, mobilisers and leaders. They were made to feel that (and I hate the saying) they had skin in the game.

 

The working class are disenfranchised from politics like never before. 

Which is exactly the situation the thatcher government planned for way back in the late 70s and early 80s. It's almost as if those of us north of Birmingham were predicting the future when we warned about it back then. I was only a teenager but it was so easy to see what was going to happen when Unions were broken and all our state assets were sold off. Hardly rocket science.

[aRdja]

15 hours ago, Mudface said:

Yep. A book that Fagin isn't even in...

 

 

He’s a fucking vermin that Zvi cunt.

[Neil G]

Has Starmer made a statement about Hancock’s disgraceful comment to Allin-Khan? He’s RTed her tweet about it, but surely it merits a direct response from him?

[sir roger]

3 minutes ago, Neil G said:

Has Starmer made a statement about Hancock’s disgraceful comment to Allin-Khan? He’s RTed her tweet about it, but surely it merits a direct response from him?

It's an illuminati night I believe.

[Gnasher]

6 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Labour cut into the demographic it needed to,better off and more liberal professional people yet lost out on its traditional core of voters,this is how convaluted the whole thing has become. Today's call centre workers are last century's miners and dockworkers yet these people don't seem to understand this. I am at a loss myself to understand what is happened and can only put it down to ignorance and poorer educational standards among the poorer electorate. Based on the experience I've seen with my own kids it seems that the education standards among even the working class kids has become very divided too. 

Not entirely true If you are talking about working class kids not voting labour. If the general election only took into account the votes of the under 50s Corbyn would have won be a landslide. There is very little to be optimistic about in British politics at present bar the country's youth.

 

 

https://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2019/12/31/young-people-s-votes-are-changing-the-political-landscape-th

 

 

The younger the voter the worse it gets for the Tories. I can dream,

 

 

https://www.joe.co.uk/politics/18-24s-no-tories-198690

 

 

 

 

[Sugar Ape]

This is an interesting site to look at, the difference in 1997 across the age groups to other elections it lists are stark. 
 

https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/how-britain-voted-october-1974

 

And this one on voting by readers of newspaper titles. 
 

https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/voting-newspaper-readership-1992-2010

[Pureblood]

Listened to a bit of PMQs. It all seems a bit futile, really. Starmer could make mince meat of Johnson, but would anyone pay attention?  Johnson can just stand there and lie his way through the session knowing that most of his voters have no interest in politics beyond three word slogans.   Depressing. 

[aRdja]

[Manny]

44 minutes ago, TK421 said:

Listened to a bit of PMQs. It all seems a bit futile, really. Starmer could make mince meat of Johnson, but would anyone pay attention?  Johnson can just stand there and lie his way through the session knowing that most of his voters have no interest in politics beyond three word slogans.   Depressing. 

Nicked off the Twitter.

[Bobby Hundreds]

Dan Hodges is a bell end. Have these journos got a politician more to their liking now. Go easier on him because he's more like them. Weird it was never about the questions when Corbyn asked it was always about attacking the man. 

[Rico1304]

 

[mattyq]

1 hour ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

Dan Hodges is a bell end. Have these journos got a politician more to their liking now. Go easier on him because he's more like them. Weird it was never about the questions when Corbyn asked it was always about attacking the man. 

Think there's a lot of truth in this.

Dan Hodges, obviously, is a grade A bellend and the journos most definitely like Starmer more than they liked Corbyn

[VladimirIlyich]

24 minutes ago, mattyq said:

Think there's a lot of truth in this.

Dan Hodges, obviously, is a grade A bellend and the journos most definitely like Starmer more than they liked Corbyn

They probably believe he is less of threat to the tories. I hope he proves them wrong.

[Neil G]

Really weak response from Labour to the looming private rent arrears crisis. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/may/08/labour-extension-emergency-rent-protections-housing

 

Two years is nowhere near enough time to pay back the arrears. Millions of private renters are struggling or failing to make ends meet as it is. Having to pay back accrued arrears in such a short space of time on top of their rent and other outgoings will be impossible, especially with so many going into debt through the furlough scheme and the economy set to flatline for years to come.

 

If the government is determined that landlords don’t take a hit from this then it should be covering the rent of everyone unable to pay, and if not writing it off altogether then at least deferring repayments until after the economy has recovered and spreading them over a longer period to make them manageable. This is another issue the Tories will only make concessions on if Labour go big on the injustice of the situation and vocally demand bold solutions. Even if the Tories don’t give any ground then at least Labour will have marked themselves out as being on the side of ordinary working people, which will matter come election time.

 

Private renters are part of Labour’s core vote. If Labour don’t fight for them that’s another group they’ll end up losing.