It’s early days and we’re less than three months into it, but it already looks like the new Labor government is struggling.

The events of August were horrific and it is right that the worst perpetrators were dealt with severely. However, the riots cannot simply be dismissed as the actions of a small handful of far-right criminals. The fact that they took place also reflects deep problems in our society, particularly in the UK’s former industrial cities.

Margaret Thatcher’s governments caused serious long-term damage. Her policies destroyed much of Britain’s heavy industry, including mining, steel and the car industry – industries that provided well-paid and previously secure employment. By the end of the 1980s many working class communities had been destroyed and unfortunately not much has improved since then.

There is an air of decay in many of these towns with their run-down estates, broken down shops and waste land that was once a factory/mine. The people there feel abandoned. Many believe that the so-called political class simply does not care about them. Instead, they see modern politicians as an outsized Westminster elite living in a liberal, woke bubble.

Many people in these communities stopped voting after the early euphoria of Tony Blair’s victory in 1997. Voter turnout fell from 71.4% in 1997 to 59.4% in 2001. Then came UKIP and Brexit, which gave them the opportunity to express their anger. Immigration and racism were a factor in the Brexit referendum.

But above all, it was a cry of anguish from people whose voices finally seemed to count for something. Unfortunately, they used the Brexit referendum to make their voices heard in a way that would never provide a solution.

The Tories are imploding

The issues underlying the Brexit referendum were exploited by Johnson and the Conservatives in 2019. The so-called red wall fell when voters were lured there by the false promise of ‘levelling up’ and Johnson’s promise to ‘get Brexit done’.

This year’s election saw some return to Labour. However, when the Tories imploded, many opted for reform. The far-right is also increasingly focusing on these areas, seeking to exploit genuine grievances to build support for their extreme views.

The degree of alienation of working-class communities in many parts of Britain cannot be underestimated. Labor urgently needs to get into these communities and listen to their concerns first and foremost – no more sloganeering.

READ MORE: Labor risks losing loyal voters, new opinion polls show

We must say that we understand your frustration and want to work with you to make things right. We must develop Labour’s plan for Barnsley, Sunderland etc in partnership with local communities, trade unions, charities, campaign groups etc. The local plans must then be put into action as part of Labour’s strategy of national renewal.

Unfortunately, far from doing this, we are in serious danger of simply reinforcing their jaundiced view of politicians – that they are all the same and only out for themselves. The fuss about ‘gifts and hospitality’ is very damaging. It may be that everything is stated correctly and transparently, but that misses the point. Bringing free clothes, football ticket packages including hospitality and expensive free accommodation for any reason makes the government and ministers look elitist and aloof.

Revising in Downing Street can be difficult, but it doesn’t compare to trying to study for your final exams in a crowded, run-down council flat where there’s no real desk and you don’t even have your own bedroom.

‘Labor must listen’

At the same time, the government has chosen to demonstrate its fiscal policy determination by focusing on the poorer sections of society. Maintaining the ceiling for two child allowances exacerbates child poverty, especially in already disadvantaged areas of the country. Yes, some retirees are wealthy and don’t need a winter fuel payment. But many who do not qualify for a pension credit do need it. Now Labor has announced a new crackdown on benefit fraud. Where have we heard that before?

It is a very unattractive and unconstructive contrast to the freebies that Labor is already suffering from. The latest Ipsos poll shows that 62% of people are dissatisfied with the government, compared to just 25% who are satisfied. This is light years away from 1997, when early approval rates were over 65%. If we are not very careful, we will push working class communities increasingly towards populism and the empty slogans of Farage and the far right. That is a real danger.

Summary of all news and debate from party conference 2024 by Labor list here.

The depressed working-class communities in our former industrial cities have had a belly full of difficult decisions. They don’t need to be told that things will get worse with more cuts and more doom and gloom. They need a way out and, above all, hope, hope – not more lectures about finding a job.

Labor must listen. Our leaders need to get away from the surreal world of Westminster. We must show that there is real meat in the plan for national renewal. We need to break down the plan so people in each community can understand what it means for them. How many houses, how many schools, which new hospitals, where the new jobs will come from.

It is clearly not too late, but there must be real change now, including at the top of our party.

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