Forgotten Voters

Jon Cruddas MP and Searchlight editor Nick Lowles:

"The New Labour project relied on the assumption that its traditional support, although declining, had nowhere else to go. But this is now changing, and the BNP has emerged as one beneficiary. The party received more votes last month than Labour in seats such as Dagenham and Rainham in east London and the new Morley and Outwood constituency in West Yorkshire...

It is no coincidence that the BNP is doing best in those communities, often overwhelmingly white, where there has been the greatest economic change, such as the former coalfields and car manufacturing areas. For too long a basic formula has underscored much New Labour thinking - a counterbalancing of so-called aspirational, Middle-England swing voters with our traditional supporters. Its adherents have remained tone deaf to both the aspirations and insecurities of those who fall outside this tight political calculus.

Ministers' rhetoric of 'aspiration' fails to address the real aspirations of voters across huge tracts of the political landscape, where even decent housing or good jobs are in too short supply. So our language, policies and tactics all fail to hit the mark."

I'm starting to regard the prospect of a Conservative government much as I do my deepening middle age: there's not much I can do about it, maybe it won't be so bad, and being in decline can, if nothing else, encourage fruitful reflection about the future. Labour's leadership should to reflect on this thoughtful piece. It might have a rejuvenating effect.

Comments

[Alun]

It's an interesting article (though I disagree with much of the analysis... though not so much the hinted remedies, oddly enough) but it lets itself down badly in places... the example that leaps out is this;

"Who would have thought that Labour could have lost the former heartlands of Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent?"

Anyone with even a very basic knowledge of political history and recent political in those areas actually.

Merthyr has always had an independent streak (S.O.Davies's re-election, as an "independent" in 1970, being just the best known example) and Labour was actually hammered by, of all parties, Plaid Cymru there in local elections in the 1970's. And the Labour majority on the council elected in 2004 was tiny and was eventually more-or-less lost. And there's no excuse for being surprised at Labour losing control in Blaenau Gwent (it isn't as though the Lawites are a low profile buch). As it happens the result in Blaenau Gwent was actually quite a bit better than a lot were expecting (most surprising of all was Labour winning more seats than People's Voice in Ebbw Vale). The standout awful result in the Valleys (in terms of seats Merthyr was dreadful, but that was largely the result of a few votes lost here and there combined with FPTP. Labour benefited from the electoral system in 2004, were screwed by it in 2008) was actually Torfaen.

[jameshigham]

SNP not a show up that way?

[Tim Footman]

Dave, your last paragraph resonates. I was brought up supping the Labour Party with my mother's milk (since she was standing for a council election when I was born). I leafleted for the party in the '79 election, just before my 11th birthday.

Even though I saw through Blairism, I cheered when Portillo went down in flames, and I still trotted out to support Labour, because the alternative was worse. But now - I just couldn't give a toss. Really, what's the difference between Michael Gove and Ed Balls?