The Conservative project, which has lacked a clear, consistent and coherent narrative over the last 14 years, has failed. It has delivered very little – advancing devolution is one achievement we can point to – and its legacy will largely be one of chaos and cruelty. Think austerity, Brexit, partygate, the mini-budget and the Rwanda bill.
It’s now time for a reset, a proverbial clean state and for a different kind of politics to be given the opportunity to shape the fortunes of a country that has, for too many years now, been stagnant and unsure of itself.
That alternative is Labour. Though the party is not without its faults – see, for instance, the disappointing scaling back of its £28 billion green investment pledge – and it will no doubt be impeded by the mess it inherits, its vision for a better, less divisive and more optimistic future is laudable. It should be given a chance. Another five years of Conservative government is not the solution.
We want to be clear about a couple of things. One, while we’re backing a Labour government to see out the rest of the 2020s, we do so not at the expense of, for instance, the Liberal Democrats or the Green Party. Both parties have good ideas and good candidates. And if they’re a credible choice where you live, more so than, say, Labour, then vote as you see fit.
As for Reform UK, which warrants a mention, the party is not a panacea for the problems the country faces – it’s a symptom of what has gone wrong. When things get as bad as they have, it creates the conditions needed for fringe parties and a particular type of politics to thrive (as we’ve seen in France with the far right’s success in the first round of parliamentary elections). Voters would do well not to be hoodwinked by junk promises of a return to a mythological Great Britain of yore. It has never existed.
And two, our endorsement isn’t because of any affiliation to Labour – we don’t believe in partisan politics, nor do we subscribe to the ideas of any one party. We’re an independent organisation and our loyalty, above all, is to journalism, to truth. A Labour government will get the same level of scrutiny as the Conservatives (well, as they would have had we been around a lot longer than we have). We will always hold all power to account. And you, dear reader, also have that opportunity come 4 July 2024.