by Keir Starmer has been called on to unfreeze relations with a new generation of left-leaning Labor to maximize the party’s share of the vote and avoid suspending parliament at the next election.
Senior Labor MPs fear the party is at risk of alienating its core voice as it seeks to attract more anti-Tory votes and continue to bridge the Brexit gap.
It comes as Momentum makes a “strategic” retreat to local government, focusing less on PLP and more on serving “a growing appetite for change and ambition” in local communities.
A Momentum source said: “There is a hunger for more than a repeat of New Labour, a sense that the status quo cannot continue and a recognition that the massive crises facing the UK require real ambition.”
This grassroots group has said it wants to show local transformation, with policies that include democratic property and council housing proving to be winning votes at hand – as evidenced by local election victories in Worthing and Preston.
The change in Momentum comes months after the Guardian reported that its future was at stake, with senior insiders urging the group to change its approach and present a “consistent plan with strategy” regardless of Corbyn’s future.
In an ostensible attempt to act as a bridge to “unity”, Momentum insiders believe that many in Labor and beyond hope to achieve a bold left-wing political agenda and bridge the gap between the policies proposed by Labor in the UK and those proposed by mayors and Welshmen. workers’ parties.
The insider said: “We have two key goals: to build our bases at the grassroots and to build coalitions across the labor movement for transformational policies. It’s all about the long game.”
Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell says Starmer needs to maximize the party’s vote and ensure Labor is a broad church “where there is respect for the whole spectrum of political views within the Labor Party”.
Some leaders again voiced criticism of the party’s heavy use of focus groups, with one claiming: “Labour is so much more than a ‘red wall’.
“We need a united party that speaks to the radical coming generation,” McDonnell told the Guardian. “What worries me is that if Rishi Sunak stabilizes the ship and some Tory votes go back to the Conservative Party, how do we maximize our votes?
“We need to use all the resources we can and if you look at the young left-wing radical MPs, they are attractive in all areas, but they especially appeal to young people, especially members of the BAME community because they are members of this community.
“And if we don’t use that resource, we’ll miss out on mobilizing some of the key voices.”
Rising left-wing stars of the PLP party in 2019 included Nadia Whittome, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Olivia Blake and Zarah Sultana, all of whom McDonnell hopes will be given front bench experience, otherwise the party would risk wasting their talents as “resources” elections”.
“Starmer’s weakness is that he could bring a new generation of talent into government that speaks for so many communities across the country, not to mention the experience of people like Rebecca Long-Bailey. He has to consider it a resource.”
Momentum is focused on the long game, working to renew a broader alliance between the left and the soft left within Labor on economic transition and democratic reform.