Labour still needs a sharper message on the economy
They say responding to a Budget is one of the most difficult gigs in British politics. The Labour Leadership must be relieved then that next week’s fiscal event is merely a Spring Statement, meaning the Shadow Chancellor, rather than the Leader himself, will be responding. This suits Labour well, especially given Rachel Reeves has impressed since taking over the role last May. Given the country is facing rampant inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, responding to Rishi Sunak will be no mean feat however – especially when you consider Labour still doesn’t have as sharp a message as it could have on the economy.
Don’t get me wrong – the Labour Leadership has done a good job at laying the groundwork in order to criticise the Government for its slow response to both rising energy bills and its planned tax rises, but what is missing is an overarching message that would speak to voters, and give them a sense of what a Labour Government’s priorities would be.
In our Fit for the Future report published in September last year ahead of Party Conference, I assessed Labour’s policy messaging and its delivery, and called for a narrower focus on policy, and the repetition of a short and sharp message. There have been improvements on both fronts, but more needs to be done to tie all the good work being done by Keir and Rachel’s teams into a single, unified message.
Let’s take this in turn. Labour’s current strapline – ‘Security. Prosperity. Respect’ – speaks to some macro issues which the party wants to develop between now and 2024. However, given the ongoing war in Ukraine, ‘security’ may be interpreted differently now than two months ago when Keir launched it in his New Year’s speech. While it can sometimes be good to have a message that can mean all things to all people, given Labour’s biggest weakness at the second is that voters don’t know what it stands for, having a message that can mean both economic security as well as security from conflict risks muddling the waters.
There is a similar problem with ‘prosperity’. With rising inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, Labour’s ambition to create a more prosperous society may ring as hollow as Rishi Sunak’s attempts to define himself as a tax-cutting Chancellor at a time when he is raising National Insurance contributions. Speaking of which, while saying the Conservatives are the party of high tax because they are the party of low growth might ring nicely, it is not the same thing as having an economic message.
For what it’s worth, I think Labour has a strong existing message – saying it would tax fairly and spend wisely if in Government. But this soundbite only becomes a message if accompanied by a set of policies that voters can identify and remember. Beyond scrapping the NI rise and imposing a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas companies, what’s Labour’s solution for the cost-of-living crisis? It’s not easy finding a one-size-fits-all policy for this, but merely opposing the Government on National Insurance is not enough of a message. The soundbite is a start, because it speaks to the moment – one where a Tory Chancellor is increasing taxes on working people, while demand-side policies need to be kept in check due to rampant inflation.
All too often Labour lands on a message but abandons it too quickly for it to have made an impression on voters. If Keir and Rachel want to start landing more punches on Rishi Sunak, they need to stick to one message, starting with the response to the Spring Statement next week.
Dan Julian
Cicero/amo