This is a really clear set of ideas and policies - but I think we (you?) also need to offer a narrative which people can hold onto about the change. How do we do that?
People are also attracted to the Greens because they are in one way, far more sensible than Labour, - they CAN "See a Case" for Rejoining the EU Single Market. (h/t K. Starmer)
Rejoining the Single Market will both attract Graduate and non-Graduate jobs to the UK, as well as reducing the price of Food and other goods, - and yet, because of a 1.9% 'win' 9 Years ago, we're not allowed to want that ?
The Crazier trying to 'Make Brexit Work' becomes, the more sensible the fringe Parties appear.
That’s great, and it has the benefit of a clear roadmap. That’s a narrative that can be conveyed. Obstacles are, firstly, a PM who won’t let his Ministers communicate that. Second, investment means releasing fiat funds and the Chancellor is resistant.
As I've come to expect from your blog, excellent suggestions that make complete sense to me. However, for the purpose of wider communication, I think it would be useful to talk about these ideas in the context of 'doing', rather than 'winning'. I believe perception is a good chunk of the battle and people want a government to be using their current powers for good, rather than focusing on what they should be doing in order to win the next election - hardly any difference in the actions but the view of motivation is vital. Part of that will involve demonstrating the vision for policies that will take more than one term to deliver and I think the Labour government currently suffers from a fatal lack of vision. People in the depths of despair need lifting up so they have a view of where you're planning on taking them. I think Starmer is a fixer but the times also call for a storyteller (despite being an appalling human, I think Farage is an extraordinarily effective storyteller) and he is not able to do both. Keep up your excellent work, but have a word with comms!
yeah sorry but your leadership isn't going to listen to this, because their first priority- before meaningfully improving people's lives, before even winning votes- is to advance their own far-right political project. they will continue to insist that reform voters are the only part of the electorate worth chasing, and that the best way to do that is abuse of immigrants and trans people while paying no attention to the cost of living, no matter how much electoral warning there is. even if reform get in, thats an acceptable outcome to mcsweeney/rutherford et al., because it means the policies they want get implemented anyway, only faster and harder.
I agree with this, but we must also demonstrate competence in reducing immigration, tackling Channel crossings, and limiting the use of hotels for asylum seekers. This is a cross-cutting concern, even among more affluent communities, due to its impact on social cohesion. The pace of societal change has made it challenging to properly integrate recent arrivals. I’m concerned that, over time, our hard-won progressive values could be eroded by a rise in religious conservatism. The Social Democrats in Denmark have shown that it is possible to combine left-leaning economic policies with a firm stance on immigration, and this approach has proved electorally successful.
Agree that low cost renewable energy is the way to go. With regard to better jobs for those without qualifications, rejuvenating the apprenticeship schemes would be good and improving the economy by at least joining either one or both of the Customs Union and Single Market would be good options. The Government could use Trump and the need to increase armaments expenditure as an excuse to rub out their red lines on rejoining these.
As to property prices, more building (bearing in mind the oligopoly of the builders) is unlikely to have much effect within the term of this Government. We already have more than enough housing to meet demand, but it is under occupied. Many single old people remain in family homes, particularly as they are largely exempt from inheritance tax. Radical action to increase the supply would be to eliminate the tax advantages or over occupying property and introduce taxation so that under occupied property would pay higher taxes (particularly second homes).
A bunch of good ideas, but inevitably much easier said than done.
I wish you well in your attempts to deliver these ideas. My own vote and many others rest on your success.
This is a really clear set of ideas and policies - but I think we (you?) also need to offer a narrative which people can hold onto about the change. How do we do that?
People are also attracted to the Greens because they are in one way, far more sensible than Labour, - they CAN "See a Case" for Rejoining the EU Single Market. (h/t K. Starmer)
Rejoining the Single Market will both attract Graduate and non-Graduate jobs to the UK, as well as reducing the price of Food and other goods, - and yet, because of a 1.9% 'win' 9 Years ago, we're not allowed to want that ?
The Crazier trying to 'Make Brexit Work' becomes, the more sensible the fringe Parties appear.
That’s great, and it has the benefit of a clear roadmap. That’s a narrative that can be conveyed. Obstacles are, firstly, a PM who won’t let his Ministers communicate that. Second, investment means releasing fiat funds and the Chancellor is resistant.
As I've come to expect from your blog, excellent suggestions that make complete sense to me. However, for the purpose of wider communication, I think it would be useful to talk about these ideas in the context of 'doing', rather than 'winning'. I believe perception is a good chunk of the battle and people want a government to be using their current powers for good, rather than focusing on what they should be doing in order to win the next election - hardly any difference in the actions but the view of motivation is vital. Part of that will involve demonstrating the vision for policies that will take more than one term to deliver and I think the Labour government currently suffers from a fatal lack of vision. People in the depths of despair need lifting up so they have a view of where you're planning on taking them. I think Starmer is a fixer but the times also call for a storyteller (despite being an appalling human, I think Farage is an extraordinarily effective storyteller) and he is not able to do both. Keep up your excellent work, but have a word with comms!
yeah sorry but your leadership isn't going to listen to this, because their first priority- before meaningfully improving people's lives, before even winning votes- is to advance their own far-right political project. they will continue to insist that reform voters are the only part of the electorate worth chasing, and that the best way to do that is abuse of immigrants and trans people while paying no attention to the cost of living, no matter how much electoral warning there is. even if reform get in, thats an acceptable outcome to mcsweeney/rutherford et al., because it means the policies they want get implemented anyway, only faster and harder.
I agree with this, but we must also demonstrate competence in reducing immigration, tackling Channel crossings, and limiting the use of hotels for asylum seekers. This is a cross-cutting concern, even among more affluent communities, due to its impact on social cohesion. The pace of societal change has made it challenging to properly integrate recent arrivals. I’m concerned that, over time, our hard-won progressive values could be eroded by a rise in religious conservatism. The Social Democrats in Denmark have shown that it is possible to combine left-leaning economic policies with a firm stance on immigration, and this approach has proved electorally successful.
Let’s do both.
Agree that low cost renewable energy is the way to go. With regard to better jobs for those without qualifications, rejuvenating the apprenticeship schemes would be good and improving the economy by at least joining either one or both of the Customs Union and Single Market would be good options. The Government could use Trump and the need to increase armaments expenditure as an excuse to rub out their red lines on rejoining these.
As to property prices, more building (bearing in mind the oligopoly of the builders) is unlikely to have much effect within the term of this Government. We already have more than enough housing to meet demand, but it is under occupied. Many single old people remain in family homes, particularly as they are largely exempt from inheritance tax. Radical action to increase the supply would be to eliminate the tax advantages or over occupying property and introduce taxation so that under occupied property would pay higher taxes (particularly second homes).