Keir Starmer’s Labour should mirror the consistency of messaging and positive vision used by the party ahead of Tony Blair’s first election win 25 years ago, a report has said, while stressing that it is not enough to simply borrow from the past.
The document, Lessons from a Landslide, says particular challenges Labour must tackle include preparing for a possible hung parliament, and outlining a longer-term narrative for change.
Written by political historian Anthony Broxton along with Labour in Communications, a network of party supporters in the media and PR industries, the study’s recommendations include some direct echoes of Blair-era tactics.
One is simplicity and consistency in message, with the report arguing this “works as much as it did 25 years ago”, pointing to the contrast between Boris Johnson’s ubiquitous “Get Brexit done” 2019 slogan and the several used then by Labour.
Another recommendation was to engage with a hostile right wing press: “The idea of a crisis in Conservatism, which is beginning to develop in the media, can build into a more substantial argument about Labour’s call for change.”
More specifically to Starmer, the study said a key to Labour’s success would be “whether he can neutralise the inevitable criticism that the party is still part of the ‘London remainer elite’”.
While Starmer has sought to reposition Labour as a more overtly patriotic force, the next challenge would be “to move beyond the flags and demonstrate to the British public why Labour values are British values on a more consistent and impactful basis”, it added.
Two of the most important elements would be to enter an election with a clear view on what might happen in a hung parliament, to deal with “inevitable attacks” that Labour will ally with Liberal Democrats and SNP to reverse Brexit; and to offer a broader vision of change.
“By [the general election in] 2024, single issues such as Partygate will have long faded from view, however, the theme of Johnson’s leadership, and the consequences of his governance, will remain,” the report said. “Over the next few years, Labour’s task is to turn that narrative into a powerful policy platform that meets the challenges of today rather than those of 25 years ago.”
In an introduction to the report, Alastair Campbell, who was Blair’s press secretary, said that as well as focusing on government failings, Starmer should “show the difference a Labour government can make”.
“Labour, their MPs keep telling me, have lots of policies, but the public don’t know what they are,” he said. “You can’t blame the public for that. And though the media is a massive barrier, you can’t blame them either. Labour have to communicate relentlessly the difference they would make.”
A party source said there was already a rigorous and settled communications operation, and that Starmer and his aides regularly liaise with media organisations from the right as well as the left.
