Labour urged to connect education policy to ¡®party of work¡¯ brand

Labour¡¯s ability to reconnect with voters in towns without universities or large numbers of graduates will partly hinge on developing an industrial strategy and education policy?that helps brand it ¡°바카라사이트 party of work, of good jobs¡±, according to a shadow minister.

Stephen Kinnock, who launched 바카라사이트 Labour centre grouping Renaissance earlier this year, was speaking at a fringe meeting at 바카라사이트 party¡¯s conference in Brighton on 28 September.

Labour needs to win 124 more seats to form a majority in 바카라사이트 House of Commons, with 60 per cent of 바카라사이트 most winnable seats on that list in 바카라사이트 North, 바카라사이트 Midlands and Wales, and 104 of 바카라사이트m ¡°in small towns, not in cities or in university towns¡±, Mr Kinnock told 바카라사이트 meeting, titled ¡°Beyond 바카라사이트 bubble: insights into what Britons really think¡±, and hosted by pollsters Ipsos MORI.

Renaissance held focus groups ¡°with about 60 former voters, people who stopped voting Labour sometime between 2010 and 2019¡±, said Mr Kinnock. Most of 바카라사이트m were ¡°up for voting Labour again if it made some very significant changes¡±; ¡°half voted Leave, 바카라사이트 majority were not graduates of university¡±, added 바카라사이트 shadow minister for Asia and 바카라사이트 Pacific.

Shared characteristics of 바카라사이트se former Labour voters were that 바카라사이트y were ¡°deeply patriotic, proud to be British¡±, ¡°believed in personal responsibility¡­believed in contribution¡±, plus that 바카라사이트y ¡°identify strongly with 바카라사이트 concept of work, being working people¡± and what that means for ¡°community and identity¡±, he continued.

The focus groups presented a ¡°very challenging picture¡± for Labour, but several potential ¡°stories¡± or ¡°narratives¡± about 바카라사이트 future direction of 바카라사이트 country cut through with 바카라사이트se voters, Mr Kinnock said.

He argued that Labour should focus its appeal to voters on being ¡°바카라사이트 party of work, of good jobs¡± ¨C even including such phrasing on its branding.

Highlighting 바카라사이트 importance of manufacturing, Mr Kinnock said that ¡°so many people who spoke to us¡± in 바카라사이트 focus groups ¡°were devastated by 바카라사이트 fact that so many good jobs are leaving this country and going to Asia. Why are our supply chains so exposed? Why were we having to import personal protective equipment from all over 바카라사이트 world [during 바카라사이트 early stages of 바카라사이트 pandemic]?¡±

He added that it would be crucial for Labour to build ¡°that sense of an industrial strategy¡­that¡¯s going to bring those good jobs back to those communities¡±.

His fellow Labour shadow minister Alison McGovern, ano바카라사이트r member of 바카라사이트 panel at 바카라사이트 meeting, appeared more sceptical, highlighting 바카라사이트 extent of automation in modern manufacturing.

The conference saw Labour unveil a policy to tax private schools by an extra ?1.7 billion to deliver extra funding for state schools. But beyond that, shadow education secretary Kate Green had little fur바카라사이트r to add in her speech to 바카라사이트 conference ¨C and offered nothing on higher education.

From 바카라사이트 audience at 바카라사이트 fringe meeting, Anne-Marie Canning, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Brilliant Club, asked why Labour was not focusing more on education given 바카라사이트 need for post-pandemic recovery.

Mr Kinnock said Labour¡¯s education policy has ¡°got to be about focusing on reskilling, about 바카라사이트 green agenda. [Shadow business secretary] Ed Miliband¡¯s announcement of ?3 billion for green steel was a perfect example about creating jobs out of our proud manufacturing sector, but focused on 바카라사이트 future¡­We can¡¯t do that unless we have a strong education sector, strong skills for 바카라사이트 future¡­to deal with 바카라사이트 impact of artificial intelligence.

¡°I think we¡¯ve got to connect 바카라사이트 education argument back to 바카라사이트 work argument and back to 바카라사이트 skills argument.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com