Diminishing returns for Labour as contempt holds sway in UK
COLUMNIST
“Stuff Labour,” mutters a man leaving his house as I walk by. The distinctive voice of Rhodri Morgan is bellowing from a loudspeaker, urging people to get out and vote Labour.
The Former First Minister is doing his bit for his party on council election day.
“Keep Labour in power in Cardiff. Keep Labour running your public services,” says Rhodri through a megaphone, as a van drives him around the streets of the city’s Canton area.
The angry man is still mouthing his discontent at the Labour Party as the sound of Rhodri’s voice dims into the distance and our paths begin to diverge.
On the surface (I’m making sweeping, uninformed judgements about him here, I totally acknowledge this) Angry Man who should be a core Labour voter.
In his sixties, probably retired, living in a Labour heartland of terrace streets, almost certainly a party voter since he was able to put a cross on a ballot paper.
But now? It’s a furious: “Vote Labour? Stuff Labour!”
Afterwards, I wish I’d asked him, why the rage?
Because here’s my other wild guess about a man I know nothing about – he’d probably be unable to give me a tangible, reasoned argument for his scorn.
Turning around the anger felt by many is one of the biggest challenges facing Labour.
It’s a story that’s told across the party’s heartlands where it’s traditional support is being eroded.
Anecdotal evidence backs up the diminishing returns in votes over the years.
The other day I overheard a friend who lives in a Valleys constituency imploring others: “Don’t vote Labour, they’re rubbish.”
Someone else (“I’ve voted Labour all my life,” etc etc) has told me they can’t trust Labour with the deficit (it still matters apparently) and have to do “what’s best for their family”.
This was before an angry Leave voter, angry about Labour, angry about everything, was seen on TV bellowing at Lib Dem leader Tim Farron on a campaign event.
Pensioner Malcolm Baker told Mr Farron: “I’ve always voted Labour but this time I’m going to vote for Theresa May.”
Furious Malcolm later said he was fed up with hearing the Lib Dem leader “keeping on running Britain down”.
And poor Tim, bearing the brunt of the fury really meant for another party.
There’s been plenty, so much, written already on the decline and fall of social democratic parties across Europe – and Labour in the UK.
And there’s plenty of problems for Labour to overcome if it wants to be a force to be reckoned with at the ballot box, the change in voting habits of its core electorate probably one of the most pressing of all.
Jeremy Corbyn might well attract hundreds of people, thousands, even, to rallies – but the broader population away from that echo chamber? It’s not happy with the party, even if the reasons aren’t defined or rational or coherent.
These aren’t radical, ground-breaking assessments. The party should be worried about perceptions over its competence and the contempt for it which has seeped into the psyche.
Messages matter. For whatever reason, Labour’s messages are getting lost, or diluted or obscured.
Or maybe people aren’t even bothering to listen.
The Tories are winning support on unprecedented levels – in the polls in Wales they’re on course to beat Labour in June for the first time since universal suffrage.
We’re a few weeks away from the General Election and people are angry with the opposition party – when it’s normally the governing one (and this one is particularly special in presiding over calamities of its own making) which is more hated.
The local elections might give us a better clue of how things could shape up.
Perhaps all is not lost just yet, because whatever happens Labour remains the party of government in Wales and in London.
But we will for certain find out how many people really want to “stuff Labour” when it comes to June 8.