ThinkLabour is a new strategic force generating bold ideas for Britain | Media enquiries: press@thinklabour.co.uk
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Who is Andy Burnham for?
Earlier this year, ThinkLabour argued that Labour could no longer rely on a single group of swing voters. In a fragmented political landscape, Labour needs to hold together a broad coalition of left-liberal, economically insecure and transactional voters.
As Labour party conference begins we revisit these groups using new polling to see how Labour’s support has changed since June, where it has made gains, and what this means for the challenges ahead.
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The latest ThinkLabour polling also shows how Labour’s support has shifted across different parts of the country since June.
📍 London: +11 points
📍 North West: +10 points
📍 Scotland: +9 points
📍 South East: +5 points
📍 Wales: no increase
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For more data and the full piece, read Christabel's substack here: thinklabour.substack.com/p/w…
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NEW REPORT: A New Civil Partnership
What does it mean to keep Britain safe when the front line is no longer a line?
Our new report with @TheBFPG, with a foreword from Al Carns MP, makes the case for a National Resilience Corps - strengthening our resilience while rebuilding civic participation and giving people a practical role in protecting their communities.
news.sky.com/story/report-ca…
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There’s support for strengthening Britain’s defences - but the trade-offs matter.
60% support raising defence spending to 3% of GDP in isolation.
That falls to 33% with welfare cuts, 32% with tax rises and just 19% with NHS cuts.
Meanwhile, 47% support a National Resilience Corps.
Read the full report here:
thinklabour.co.uk/thinking/a…
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Can the government really stop consulting on microchipping cats?
The Government has made good progress with its recent announcements on tackling “consultation culture”. But what does it actually take to end it?
In her latest Substack, ThinkLabour Policy Adviser Amelia Wood looks at how these requirements have built up over time, why tackling them one by one isn’t enough, and what government needs to do to genuinely change the way it works.
thinklabour.substack.com/p/c…
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For our new report, Painting the City Red, we went to Bristol to ask voters what they thought about Labour and their values.
One answer came through clearly: Labour’s values no longer feel clear enough.
In our conversations, voters raised issues including Gaza, immigration, climate change, minority rights and Europe - with some feeling Labour had moved too far from the progressive politics they expected.
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But the story isn’t just about values.
We also heard how economic insecurity - particularly housing - is shaping politics in Bristol.
Rents now account for 43% of average income, putting huge pressure on working-age people across the city. The housing crisis is cutting across the traditional divide between graduates and non-graduates - and helping explain why some economically squeezed voters are moving away from Labour.
Our new report looks at what this means for Labour’s future in Britain’s cities.
thinklabour.co.uk/thinking/p…
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NEW REPORT: Painting The City Red by Christabel Cooper and Dan Mead.
Labour has a problem in our cities.
Once dominant across metropolitan Britain, Labour’s support has fallen sharply - while the Greens have made significant gains in many of the places that should be among Labour’s strongest.
Our new report asks why, and what Labour can do about it.
theguardian.com/politics/202…
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We focus on Bristol - a canary in the coal mine for Labour’s urban coalition.
Two forces stand out:
🏠 Economic insecurity, particularly the housing crisis.
🌹 A growing disconnect between Labour and voters’ social and political values.
The challenge is to build an offer that speaks to both.
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Our recommendations include a much more ambitious approach to housing, giving mayors stronger incentives and powers to build, and being clearer about Labour’s progressive and socially liberal identity.
We also set out how Labour can compete more effectively with the Greens without alienating the voters it needs to win back.
Read the full report here:
cms.thinklabour.co.uk/assets…
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A great new publication from Future of the Left, with a contribution from our Economics Adviser, Dan Mead.
Dan looks at how to connect post-industrial towns - an important question for anyone thinking about the future of the left.
🚨 NEW PUBLICATION 🚨
@andyburnham wants to reindustrialise Britain. Read our collection of essays on what that means, with contributions from @bengglover, @paulmasonnews, @CitySamuel, @andrewmkramer, @dc_lawrence, @DEHEdgerton and others.
🔗futureoftheleft.substack.com…
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Last month, in our paper The Lame Leviathan, we argued that Britain needed to end its culture of endless consultation and start putting decisions into action.
Today, the Chancellor, First Secretary of State and Attorney General are setting out a plan to do just that.
A government that wants to get things done needs to be willing to make decisions, not endlessly defer them.
Great to see the Government turning that argument into action.
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ThinkLabour retweeted
Labour is doing great stuff on devolution. The current focus is pushing down tax and spend powers. But where next?
Revive the municipal bond market! Our bond issuance is the most centralised of major economies. Sorting this out is a big political opportunity. 1/n
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ThinkLabour retweeted
"the government’s reindustrialisation strategy needs to be broader than focusing on just manufacturing to heal the scars of deindustrialisation." writes Dan Mead on good jobs, agglomeration and better transport links.
🔗 futureoftheleft.substack.com…
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Britain once had a thriving municipal bond market.
In 1899, English municipal debt was equal to half the national debt, helping cities like Birmingham fund ambitious public investment.
Could bringing it back help Labour build the infrastructure we need?
Our Director of Policy, James Howat, explores the case for a new municipal bond market.
thinklabour.substack.com/p/g…
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What happens when protecting rights starts to make government slower and less effective?
In today's substack, former Home Secretary and Lord Chancellor Jack Straw reflects on his experience of watching public law and legal processes develop over five decades - and the impact this has had on government decision-making.
He argues that an “over-obsession with procedure” is undermining effective government and public confidence in democracy, while making the case for protecting essential rights and returning political decision-making to our elected institutions.
thinklabour.substack.com/p/t…
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