Britain’s towns need Rebecca Long Bailey
The focus on Britain’s declining towns, particularly across the Midlands and the north, and their support for the Tories in the last election has been microscopic in this Labour leadership race. The shattering of the “red wall” — former Labour strongholds that turned blue for the first time in December — has allowed each contender to express their support on revival of the country’s dilapidated high streets and communities.
The so-called socially conservative working-class has gained prominence in this race. Former mining towns, fertile grounds for roaring socialism in the 1980s and beyond, have supposedly become Tory Brexiteers in recent months. Although many believe their Tory vote to be wavering, the deindustrialisation of Labour heartlands has left a sour taste in the mouths of voters recoiling at the Westminster bubble.
All four Labour leadership contenders have expressed their dismay at the colossal takedown of the traditional “red wall” and vow to bring back disillusioned left-wing voters into the fold. In particular, Lisa Nandy has espoused the revitalisation of Britain’s forgotten communities. By doing so, she promises to encompass local governments in regional and national party meetings. Meanwhile her frontrunning opponent, Keir Starmer, has mistrustfully promised not to resort to the Labour First and Progress sects of the party. Both are Blairite advocacy groups who have repelled the notion of local democratised socialism since the inception of Jeremy Corbyn and his radicalism in 2015. Similar to Nandy, he has vied to “end the stifling over-centralisation of power” in the Labour party and instead promote local council co-ops.
Both Nandy and Starmer have the backing and the momentum to succeed to the leaders’ office. However, if Labour really want to save the country’s non-metropolitan districts, they must look no further than Rebecca Long Bailey. The second-in-line behind Starmer to win the leadership has become a favourite on the left of the party. Her “continuity Corbyn” label, although widely viewed as pejorative, should be seen as an invigorating boost to her campaign. It is inarguable that Long Bailey has acquired the ardent support of hard-left members and MPs in the party, but her commitment to towns could unite everyone if she’s given the chance.
Long Bailey aims to protect the ongoing democratisation of the Labour party under Corbyn. Her opening statement on her website pledges to “take back power from the gentleman’s club of Westminster” via “open selections and democratic policy-making”. Moreover, her record as shadow business secretary and architect of the green industrial revolution proves just that. Her ambitious yet highly effective proposal to bring back jobs to a decimated industrial sector through the transfer of zero carbon energy brings hope to a former industrious towns-based workforce disavowed by Labour’s recent trajectory. She believes this policy decision should have been at the crux of the party’s 2019 manifesto which would have garnered more votes for the party. Her devotion to include all trade unions in this future workplace will enable town residents to fully have a say on their career and future. With this almighty idea and her dedication to local power-sharing means Rebecca Long Bailey is the ultimate contender for this race.
Labour leadership voters should not be consumed by the save the towns rhetoric coming from Lisa Nandy and her Centre for Towns thinktank. Neither should voters wholeheartedly trust the key points that Keir Starmer focuses on, particularly with his metropolitan high-flying career. To win over those communities who felt compelled to vote Tory in December, a leader with strong approval who strives to implement the already popular socialist policies Labour offered must take the helm. That person is Rebecca Long Bailey.
