Labour reveals key ‘dividing lines’ for next election after policy criticism

Rob Merrick considers Labour’s ‘six big challenges facing Britain’, revealed in a document released to The Independent, ahead of a make-or-break party conference

Keir Starmer heads into Labour’s conference behind in the polls and with his authority on the line (PA)

Labour is unveiling the key “dividing lines” that it believes can beat Boris Johnson, as it seeks to quash criticism that Keir Starmer has failed to set out what he stands for.

A document released to The Independent sets out “the six big challenges facing Britain” – arguing Labour is ready to confront them, in stark contrast to the Conservatives who would “duck” them.

They range from building a green economy to beating the climate emergency, to “better work”, ending Tory “crime and disorder” and rebuilding what Labour sees as the UK’s battered standing on the world stage.

The pamphlet, by Anneliese Dodds, the policy review chair, comes in the wake of frustration at the barbs that Sir Keir’s party is policy-lite – a charge it rejects strongly.

The party’s conference begins on Saturday with Labour still behind the Tories in the polls and with Sir Keir’s authority on the line in his bid to rip up the voting rules elected Jeremy Corbyn.

Ms Dodds told The Independent: “This report makes very clear the dividing lines between the Conservatives and Labour in the years to come.”

Entitled Stronger Together: Britain in 2030, the big tasks identified are:

A green and digital future

Labour says its £30bn Green Economic Recovery would support 400,000 jobs, as part of a proper industrial strategy – something the government flirted with, then abandoned.

It contrasts this with the Conservative record of axing home retrofit schemes, cutting subsidies for renewables and electric vehicles, and approving a major new oil field in the North Sea.

Better jobs and better work

The party says the government has “weakened trade union rights, failed to protect gig economy workers and shelved promises if an Employment Bill, leaving people “trapped in insecure work”.

Labour’s New Deal for Working People would boost sick pay, the minimum wage and protection against unfair dismissal, as well as banning “fire and rehire”, where sacked workers are told to accept new contracts on worse pay and conditions.

Safe and secure communities

The Conservatives are branded the “party of crime and disorder”, with almost 8,500 fewer police officers and 7,500 fewer community support officers (PCSOs) – as antisocial behaviour soars by 50 per cent in a year.

Labour points to its plans to end violence against women and girls, to reverse record low conviction rates for rape and tackle stalking, street sexual harassment, and landlords asking for sex in lieu of rent.

World-class public services

The UK was left “horribly exposed” to the Covid pandemic, with the NHS “on its knees” with 17,000 fewer beds than in 2010 and 100,000 staff vacancies – contributing to the sky-high Covid death toll.

Labour would end “outsourcing and cronyism”, while a Children’s Recovery Plan which ensure bounce back from the pandemic through small group tutoring, breakfast clubs, quality mental health support and help for teachers to ensure “catch up on lost learning”.

Putting families first

Labour pours criticism on home ownership becoming “out of reach”, a chronic lack of affordable childcare for working parents, and youth services on course to be “all but extinct”.

In contrast, it says, Labour would deliver “high quality childcare within walking distance” for all, “genuinely affordable” homes and “wraparound” school activities that have fallen away after a decade of austerity.

A new international role for Britain

Boris Johnson is accused of “dwindling influence abroad”, through the “tragic” bungling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, refusing to clean up money laundering in the City of London, and by slashing overseas aid.

That cut, from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of national income, would be reversed and poorer countries given help to “ramp up vaccination manufacturing” – but there is no mention of how Labour would address the trading problems left by the Brexit deal.

Speaking ahead of Labour’s conference in Brighton, Ms Dodds added: “Labour wants to make Britain a global leader in the green economy and a country that rewards a proper day’s work with a proper day’s pay.

“We’d strengthen our communities and make them safer, make our health and education services world class again, ensure every part of our country is a great place to grow up and grow old in, and create a leading role for Britain on the world stage.”