View from Labour’s Business Conference: Confidence, no complacency and a re-contracting of its relationship with mainstream media could see it win the general election
Its stronger stance with mainstream media and focus on direct engagement could win this general election for Labour
The six-word crowing headline spoke loudly to the unhealthy relationship between the UK’s political parties, government and media and pushed it into the direct spotlight.
The Sun claimed that its support for the Conservative Party in 1992 and the Labour Party in 1997 secured election wins.
The power of the mainstream media in winning elections has long been documented. But with growing distrust of media, could its make-or-break power and influence finally be on the wane?
Labour’s more confident stance with mainstream media seems to herald a change in the party’s approach and communications weighting, placing direct engagement with business and the public to the fore.
Today’s Business Conference firm and no-nonsense Q&A between the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer and journalists from the BBC, Financial Times and Sky, plus others, demonstrated a willingness by Rachel Reeves to engage, just not on the tired ‘gotcha’ questions rolled out by national journalists, interview after interview.
A longer Q&A session between Reeves, Aviva’s Dame Amanda Blanc, and conference attendees within the room instead teased out more of the devil in the detail of Labour’s plans than any of the journalists managed to achieve.
“We cannot be the party of the working people if we aren’t a party that is pro-business. […] We want you here and engaging with an event like this.”
Jonathan Reynolds MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Business & Trade
The communications landscape has changed dramatically since the 1992 Conservative election win.
While still wielding huge power and influence, mainstream media are no longer the only way to target voters.
Digital media has democratised the political arena, enabling access to greater information and public participation. It also opens up wide-scale opportunities for abuse and sharing of misinformation.
Business can be confident that the partnership we have forged in opposition will carry over into government. The plans we take forward will have your fingerprints on them.”
Sir Keir Starmer MP, Leader of the Labour Party
Labour’s no-complacency stance has seen a return to back-to-basics communications, speaking directly to business owners and the public in an active listening exercise that has long been missing. I saw the same approach at its SME Sunday, which opened the party’s Annual Conference 2023. If this is how it rebuilds trust in the British political system while building support among voters, that will be welcomed.
Labour’s Plan for Business is available here.