A chance for change: progressive campaigning under a progressive government

I was really delighted to be asked to write for the Progressive Review journal about the role of campaigning organisations like 38 Degrees after the election of the Starmer government. The essay has been published this week -- you can read it, and a load of other very smart pieces here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/newe.12392

The article is based on research we carried out in 2023 to try and understand the changing dynamics for our team, for our supporters and for the mission we have as an organisation. I spoke to campaigners and current and former government figures in Australia, Germany, Canada and the US about their work following a transition from a conservative to a progressive government. I tried to pull out lessons for orgs like 38 Degrees, and for those working for the government.

Firstly, for 38 Degrees , and those like us, the work goes on. Our job is to advocate for the causes our supporters care about. We work for them, and no one else. That won't always be comfortable. The last Conservative government did not engage with us, and was not interested in having a relationship. The new government is staffed by people we have campaigned with in the past, and led by people who are at least interested in hearing from our supporters. But this Labour government has its job, and we have ours. Our approach to the new government is anchored in the values of our supporters, and the issues they care about, and while we might apply new tactics to how we seek to make an impact on the government and the country, the purpose of our work cannot be swayed by engagement with the government. Access is a tactic, not an outcome.

Secondly, we will be a voice for ambition, rather than just another voice of opposition. Our supporters don't tend to be political activists. When we survey supporters, and run focus groups with them, we hear two things. They're sceptical about whether politicians can make meaningful change in their lives - they're tired of 'politics' and want action. And people want solutions, and for the government to keep going, to keep moving things forward. So we see our job to be to push the government to go further, to celebrate when they do make progress, and then to push for more.

Third, we will continue to press the government for action on the issues our supporters care about, but we will also remember to raise a voice for our values in the country as a whole. This is a strategic point as well as a tactical one. We know that the most influential tool for persuading politicians of all hues is public opinion. Our people-powered approach aims to mobilise people from all walks of life, who vote for all parties and none, to show the people in office that the public want change. That's just smart campaigning. But there is a bigger point too: we live in a politically volatile time. The government won a big majority on a relatively small vote share, in an election with a low turnout. At the same time, in countries across Europe and the US, the politics of the radical right is on the march - and the far right have inflicted violent riots across the country. Progressives must always have an eye on the battle for public opinion and the need to show voters that our values of fairness, respect and sustainability are relevant to their lives and can improve the communities we all live in.

There are lessons for the government too.

The government can get a hearing from progressives who, while likely to be demanding and never quite satisfied, do want the government to succeed. Engagement can also ensure that policies are tested and honed. And progressives can be allies in the battle for public opinion, and against the special interests who want to see the government fail. But it takes two to tango. For a relationship to work, let alone flourish, the government will need to invest in it, in two ways. It needs to learn to trust the progressive ecosystem. Governing is hard, and it can be made harder by progressives publicly complaining that you are not doing enough. But that's what we're there for. And the government needs ro learn to power through the frustration and be strategic about the bigger gains that come from developing strong relationships. This takes time. Government advisers are extremely time-poor but nurturing strong relationships is not something that can be done on the margins. The Biden administration, like the Obama government before it, has dedicated staff resources focussed on this work.

The other lesson is on the disillusionment so many progressives in the countries we have surveyed feel after a period of progressive government. We live in difficult economic times. Centre-left governments have had a mixed record, especially where they have taken cautious, 'Ming vase' approaches to governing. A lack of progress can, unsurprisingly, frustrate progressives. When I shared some of the top line findings of our research with a senior Labour figure, this challenge of disillusionment came up in our conversation. "What are you planning to do about your supporters getting disillusioned?", he asked. "Nothing," I said - "that's your problem." Ultimately, sometimes a problem isn't a communications problem, it is a problem problem. Progressives will rally behind bold progressive change -- if the government brings about bold progressive change.

This week, this new, more nuanced approach to our work is very much in evidence.

• Last weekend, we published new research which sets out how the government can bring in new taxes on ultra-rich to provide desperately needed resources for our public services. The polling and focus group results show how popular this policy is, and how it can be promoted to the public. We want the government to be bold.
• On Wednesday, we went to Westminster as part of a coalition of campaigners to hand in a petition of 400,000 38 Degrees supporters who want the government to think again on its decision to take away the winter fuel allowance from all but the very poorest pensioners. When the government does the wrong thing, we'll hold them to account.
• And this weekend, the Times published new shocking stats uncovered by 38 Degrees highlighting the scale of convictions imposed on water companies for their disgusting failures which have led to the sewage crisis. The government has promised radical new legislation to hold the water companies to account - when they do the right thing, we'll have their backs.

FDR was once being lobbied by a group of campaigners and he told them, “You’ve convinced me. I agree with what you’ve said. Now go out and make me do it.” The election of a Labour government is not in itself change. But for campaigning groups like ours, it is a chance for change. We're going to crack on with the job of taking that chance.