Down the years, voters have become familiar with some of the demographic categories that British politics uses to compartmentalise the electorate. In the early 1990s, “Mondeo man” was used to characterise young professionals who had been socially mobile during the Thatcher years. In the Blair era “Worcester woman” was used to describe a consumerist voter, who voted in the same way she would choose a supermarket comestible, on the basis of brand. It is therefore reluctantly that I seek to add another electoral category to the demographic mix, that of “market town England”.
There exists an electoral hinterland between the densely populated areas of our major cities in the South of England and the rural landscapes of villages and hamlets. Southern England’s historic towns, such as Totnes, Dartford, Lowestoft and Woodbridge are the political hubs of Labour’s future. In market town England, Labour has an historic opportunity to reach out to voters who often feel trapped between the political narratives tailored to urban or rural England. They don’t identify with the politics of the urban/rural divide because they themselves live in communities where your next door neighbour is just as likely to be the farmer who farms on the outskirts of the town as the young professional who commutes to the nearby major city.
The coalition has pursued policies that have alienated and disappointed many market town voters. The cuts agenda, along with an unrelenting attack on the institutional fabric of the country, such as the privatisation of forests and the closure of coastguard stations, has roused parts of the country not known for political activism. These parts of the country that have traditionally felt distant from Westminster politics have been some of the leading campaigners against government policy. This can particularly be seen in forestry policy where communities have united to save these key environmental assets for future generations. In many ways the problems facing market town voters are not dissimilar to those experienced by other geo-demographic groups. Employment, housing, crime and youth opportunities are familiar themes. But what often alienates voters is the notion that politicians are a separate class who speak at them and tell them what they think their problems are. Disaffection with politics has in many cases understandably become an ingrained cultural norm in far too many communities. In spite of this, town voters have been successful at getting their voices heard on issues that particularly concern their communities such as local economies, education, transport, ghost high streets and high speed broadband. We need to listen to these concerns and amplify them at Westminster.
The only way Labour can build up a strong presence in market towns in southern England is by building up a strong activist base and becoming a truly organic part of the local community. At any level of politics, trust is always vital and it is therefore unsurprising that successful politicians in southern market towns are those who have served their community and are trusted in other capacities, such as JPs, school governors or local trustees. Whilst not forgetting our political aim of returning progressive representatives, we must see our party as a movement which can serve communities across the country by taking an active role across society. Many Labour party members do this already and find it a fulfilling way to make a difference. It allows us as a party to engage with the concerns of our fellow citizens and means that as electoral candidates we are friends and neighbours rather than part of some distant political elite. Our party is currently in a process of metamorphosis and it is not clear how we are going to look at the next election. But let’s make sure that Labour’s revival includes market towns in Southern England. We cannot hope to form a government in the future without the support of southern market town voters. I have described this as “a crucial first step”. This is because Labour must re-engage with all southern voters be they in market towns, villages or major cities. If we cannot win the trust of market town voters and build a lasting progressive tradition there then we are unlikely to see a wider Labour revival in the south that stands the test of time.
There is real anger from southern market town voters at the betrayal of the coalition to their key concerns. We must make sure that feeling of betrayal is communicated at Westminster; we would be failing in our duty as the official and only opposition to the government if we did not do so. The coalition has abandoned market town voters and left them angry and disillusioned with politicians. Let’s start rebuilding Labour in the south and tackling the disillusionment by listening to market town England and then they might start listening to us.
Daniel Carey-Dawes is a CLP secretary but writes here in a personal capacity
There exists an electoral hinterland between the densely populated areas of our major cities in the South of England and the rural landscapes of villages and hamlets. Southern England’s historic towns, such as Totnes, Dartford, Lowestoft and Woodbridge are the political hubs of Labour’s future. In market town England, Labour has an historic opportunity to reach out to voters who often feel trapped between the political narratives tailored to urban or rural England. They don’t identify with the politics of the urban/rural divide because they themselves live in communities where your next door neighbour is just as likely to be the farmer who farms on the outskirts of the town as the young professional who commutes to the nearby major city.
The coalition has pursued policies that have alienated and disappointed many market town voters. The cuts agenda, along with an unrelenting attack on the institutional fabric of the country, such as the privatisation of forests and the closure of coastguard stations, has roused parts of the country not known for political activism. These parts of the country that have traditionally felt distant from Westminster politics have been some of the leading campaigners against government policy. This can particularly be seen in forestry policy where communities have united to save these key environmental assets for future generations. In many ways the problems facing market town voters are not dissimilar to those experienced by other geo-demographic groups. Employment, housing, crime and youth opportunities are familiar themes. But what often alienates voters is the notion that politicians are a separate class who speak at them and tell them what they think their problems are. Disaffection with politics has in many cases understandably become an ingrained cultural norm in far too many communities. In spite of this, town voters have been successful at getting their voices heard on issues that particularly concern their communities such as local economies, education, transport, ghost high streets and high speed broadband. We need to listen to these concerns and amplify them at Westminster.
The only way Labour can build up a strong presence in market towns in southern England is by building up a strong activist base and becoming a truly organic part of the local community. At any level of politics, trust is always vital and it is therefore unsurprising that successful politicians in southern market towns are those who have served their community and are trusted in other capacities, such as JPs, school governors or local trustees. Whilst not forgetting our political aim of returning progressive representatives, we must see our party as a movement which can serve communities across the country by taking an active role across society. Many Labour party members do this already and find it a fulfilling way to make a difference. It allows us as a party to engage with the concerns of our fellow citizens and means that as electoral candidates we are friends and neighbours rather than part of some distant political elite. Our party is currently in a process of metamorphosis and it is not clear how we are going to look at the next election. But let’s make sure that Labour’s revival includes market towns in Southern England. We cannot hope to form a government in the future without the support of southern market town voters. I have described this as “a crucial first step”. This is because Labour must re-engage with all southern voters be they in market towns, villages or major cities. If we cannot win the trust of market town voters and build a lasting progressive tradition there then we are unlikely to see a wider Labour revival in the south that stands the test of time.
There is real anger from southern market town voters at the betrayal of the coalition to their key concerns. We must make sure that feeling of betrayal is communicated at Westminster; we would be failing in our duty as the official and only opposition to the government if we did not do so. The coalition has abandoned market town voters and left them angry and disillusioned with politicians. Let’s start rebuilding Labour in the south and tackling the disillusionment by listening to market town England and then they might start listening to us.
Daniel Carey-Dawes is a CLP secretary but writes here in a personal capacity
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