Engaging with the new political reality
10 September 2024
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Labour may have a landslide majority in the Commons, but this does not mean that you cannot influence the new Government on behalf of your company and sector:
The key to engaging is understanding: This Labour government is different, not just from the previous Conservative administration, but from previous Labour governments. Winning a hearing, building support and securing advocacy stems from understanding who they are, what they want and how they operate. From there you can construct your winning argument – the place where you can most effectively engage with the people who matter.
Be mindful of the Missions. Be sensitive to the fact that your business or organisation’s issues and asks may not be a political priority, so consider how you can demonstrate that they are. How do they assist the government in delivering their five missions?
Look beyond the Cabinet. Who is the actual Minister of State or Parliamentary Under-Secretary who has responsibility, or is across the portfolio? Who is the Whip? Is a Special Adviser or official better suited to the meeting?
Build champions across the Chamber. Remember that a successful campaign is often cross-party. Along with a new government, there has been a significant change to the make-up of Parliament; 335 MPs are completely new faces and have entered Parliament for the first time. A further 15 are returning MPs (or “Re-treads”) having sat in previous Parliaments. But recognise that many new MPs may be wary about meeting with businesses or lobbyists – although they may be more willing to meet businesses who are their constituents.
Remember the Lords. Of the 806 eligible peers, 185 take the Labour whip. Backbench Labour peers are more likely to be independent-minded than many of their back bench MP colleagues, and they are more willing to explore alternative arguments and ideas. Business and organisations should tap into the campaigning expertise of Peers who received peerages in the Resignation Honours List (like now-Baroness Margaret Hodge) or have an influential voice in the media but have no official frontbench or government responsibilities. Sometimes the Peers are the best stakeholders for complex, detailed policy discussions. The House of Lords are less likely to be sidetracked by campaign priorities, chasing media head-lines or short-term electoral grandstanding! The Government Whips’ Office in the Lords will be crucial in assisting the new Government get through legislation in the Upper Chamber where Labour will not have an inbuilt majority.
Recognise the Liberal Democrats are back. With 72 MPs - the highest number of Liberal or Liberal Democrats in a century - they are, once again, the third party in Parliament. They will have two guaranteed questions to the Prime Minister each week, be chairing an increased allocation of three select committees (i.e. Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Health & Social Care; Petitions), and have more committee membership. Meanwhile the 79 Liberal Democrat Peers (along with the Cross-benchers) will have the power to amend, pass or block much of Labour’s future legislative programme. It is worth seriously engaging with their front bench team in the Lords, many of whom have experience of government.
Engage with Select Committees. Both in the Commons and Lords will be up and running by the end of Autumn – and their clerks will be seeking to put together a draft inquiry schedule to present to their new chairs. Is your ask or issue something that the committee would find worthy of exploration and examination?
Engage with Civil Service. Officials need to understand policy and its wider sectoral implications. They are responsible for implementing policy – whichever party is in government. Civil servants want to understand the policy landscape, often basing their assessments on data, evidence and insight from a wider range of stakeholders, and can sometimes persuade the minister of the merits of a proposal.
Engage with the Think Tank world. They are the policy engine for the main parties. There is often a cross-transfer of people – policy strategists may leave think tanks to work on a party campaign or be a special adviser. Following the election, new government advisers and SpAds are being recruited from think-tanks into government and vice-versa. And there is a renewed think tank landscape to learn: Labour Together. The Tony Blair Institute and IPPR are the leaders in shaping Government policy, but other left of centre think tanks including the Fabians, Demos, the Resolution Foundation, the Social Market Foundation and the New Economics Foundation are all coming back into fashion.
Recognise the Unions. After years of being sidelined by government, the unions are central to the way this government will develop policy. They have links across the Parliamentary Labour Party will be involved in policy conversations at all levels. It is important to recognise the government is serious about a partnership between government, business and unions. Businesses must consider how they can harness their own union relationships in order to successfully influence policy and reduce the risk of intervention.
Be sensitive to Devolution. Remember – not all policy issues are directly relevant to Scottish MPs, and there are ongoing tensions between, and within parties, over the extent to which the devolution settlement should change, and which further areas or powers should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood, or the Welsh Senedd, or remain reserved to Westminster.
Labour is committed to greater English regional devolution, with further promises of greater powers for metro mayors. This is changing the regulatory context for businesses across the country. And even before these changes take place, the current group of mayors are influencing the way their parties develop policy. More than ever, businesses need to consider the regional and local operating context, just as much as the national picture.