Why Labour needs to be listening to the silent majority

LABOUR needs to stop listening to the noisy minority and listen to the silent majority The local elections last month were good for Labour and understandably Sir Kier Starmer jubilantly stated that he was on track to Number 10 at the next general election.

However, I caution such complacency based on the results of local elections.

Local elections are not general elections; councillors are not MP’s.

Many people vote for councillors based on local, not national, manifestoes and others make protest votes.

It’s unwise to assume they’ll follow suit at the next general election in 2025.

Ever since Labour lost some safe, ‘Red Wall’ seats to the Conservatives at the 2019 election, I have had a passing interest in how can they win them back.

Today, I thought I’d like to give brief overview of my thoughts on how and what I think they need to do and present to win them back.

At the turn of the 20th century, working class people were getting frustrated at their inability to field parliamentary candidates through the then Liberal Party, which was the dominant social-reform party.

In 1900, the Trades Union Congress decided to address this and in 1906 the Labour party was formed.

Since inception, Labour has been in government for 44 years over 6 governments.

The last time was the Blair and Brown government from 1997 to 2010.

Of course, back in the turn of the 20th Century, working conditions and employment rights were almost non-existent with companies and bosses lauding it over their workers.

Over the years, the trade union movement worked hard to address this.

Indeed, the close relationship between the unions and Labour party has remained to this day.

Trade unions are still the biggest financial supporters of Labour.

Understandably, the Labour party still considers itself the voice and representative of the working class.

However, working conditions and employment rights today are far cry from when the party was formed. Indeed, the trade union movement now largely represents public sector workers as opposed to traditional industry.

In 2020, the number of trade union members was 6.25 million, of which four million were public sector and 2.25 million private sector.

At the 2017 general election, 12.9 million people voted Labour which fell to 10.3 million at the 2019 election, the year the Conservatives won the Red Wall seats.

To me, these statistics reflect a discord in Labour from its core base.

It seems the traditional, working class, Labour supporting people have started to wonder just what the modern Labour party stands for.

Without doubt the current Conservative government is awash with woes, but Sir Keir Starmer and the shadow cabinet can’t rely on that alone to win power.

They need to address the needs of the Red Wall.

The traditional working class, particularly in the industrial North, are unobtrusive, hardworking people who just want a decent living for themselves and their families.

The vast majority don’t have the luxury of public sector employment.

They are at the mercy of a fragile economic climate where the covid pandemic, energy crisis, soaring inflation, Net Zero, war in Ukraine and the threat of AI are all making life hard and unpredictable for them.

These people are not really that bothered about speeding fines, covid parties or gender neutral toilets.

Rather, in my view, what the bulk of them want to hear from our political leaders, is less wokism nonsense and more about how they are going to address the things that really matter to them.

Sadly, though, it does appear that Labour’s public relations strategy seems to be all about appealing to, and addressing, the demands of the loud minority rather than those of the silent majority.

There are many things but the following I believe are very much areas Labour needs to address in respect of the stoic Red Wallers.

First up, Brexit.

At the EU referendum it was very much the northern working class that voted to leave.

So the idea that a future Labour government would be keen to rejoin will be a red rag to a red wall.

Next up, Net Zero. Increasingly expensive and punitive Net Zero targets are only going to make it even harder for these people to cope with ever increasing costly living standards.

While addressing climate change is important it has to be balanced against reality.

The UK emits around 1% of greenhouse gases, so many people will not be happy to undergo extreme economic hardship on a target that will have no real impact on a global scale.

Thirdly, Immigration. The country cannot sustain the current influx of immigrants.

While it is right to help people fleeing war or oppression, the vast majority of the immigrants sailing here from France are not fleeing tyranny but economic migrants.

Our NHS, housing and education establishments to mention a few are struggling to cope and it is impacting on all.

Finally, lowering the voting age. Labour has said it would like to lower the voting age to 16.

Many find this does not stack up. According to recent scientific studies the human brain does not mature until around 25 to 30.

In the case of teens and youngsters, found guilty of serious crimes, often have their sentences reduced based on the reasoning that their brains have not fully matured.

No doubt something Sir Kier supported as DPP.

We can’t have it both ways. People will question why?

Please note, Sir Kier. Though Labour in spirit, many of those living behind the Red Wall will not vote with their hearts, they will vote with their livelihoods.