Out on the Stump

Uncle Arthur was campaigning in the Black Country, with a hard working Labour councillor in an area which used to be rock solid Labour. The Labour vote is still relatively bouyant there but the seat has been less certain territory in recent years because of a number of 'independents' who have stood. (Thought: can anyone really be independent?).

I have been in this particular ward, every local election for the last three years (plus the General Election). It is a worrying sign that the only people who have done any work have been myself and the ward councillors themselves, this does not bode well for the Labour Party. However, no matter how difficult things are for the Labour Party nationally it is always worthwhile to go out and campaign, to be on the 'stump' and talk to people. You always learn something and in this area of all areas Labour voters speak your their mind and they always surprise you.

We bumped into a voter, adamant that he could not vote Labour at this election, he had a heavy heart in saying so but he was utterly disillusioned. Well, Labour voters have been fed up for a while now but this was instructive. He was not happy over Iraq, but that was not his main beef. He was genuinely concerned that Eastern European immigration was placing pressure on public services and undermining workers earning power.

This man was not a racist, he was not a winger or malicious. He was an honest Labour voter who in many ways was making a valid point. The extent of immigration, in the context of weakly regulated labour markets is having a disconcerting effect on Labour's core vote. It is ok for wealthy people to praise the virtues of multi-culturalism and free labour in the EU if it benefits their businesses, but working-class people don't all reap these benefits. This issue needs to be addressed. Labour should not patronise people making these points or ignorantly dismiss them as racist. For it is the avoidance of these problems that have allowed the BNP to exploit people's insecurities.

Uncle Arthur did make the balancing point that some Labour MP's had seen this danger and were raising these matters, Jon Cruddas MP, in particular being the most prominent. It is also necessary to remind people that the UK is an aging country and to address labour shortages we need some measure of immigration. Yet, the balancing point has to be made that we need robust regulation and a sensitivity to the genuine fears of working people, who are more vulnerable than most to these pressures. Liam Byrne MP's plans to introduce an Australian style points system may go some way to beef up the necessary regulation. We shall see.

It may have a long way to go to re-assure alienated Labour voters that their party is for them, but going out and talking to labour voters and listening to their fears will always be the first place to start.