“”Democratic socialism is the only way forward.”
By Jon Trickett MP
A long-time comrade of mine, a former miner who fought in the year-long strike, recently told me, “I didn’t leave Labour. Labour left us.” This sentiment is growing, especially in areas like mine in the UK’s ‘Red Wall’. Many of these voters are now shifting toward the Conservatives, abstaining, or turning to the right-wing Reform UK party.
This trend is not unique to Britain. Across liberal democracies, workers are moving away from centre-left parties, not because of cultural shifts, but due to decisions made by political leaders who’ve failed to address working-class issues. Bernie Sanders summed it up: “A Democratic Party which has abandoned working-class people will find that the working class has abandoned them.”
A critical aspect of this shift lies in how workers’ material conditions have deteriorated under successive governments. The Labour Party, once the voice of the working class, has increasingly become a technocratic force, managing an economic system that no longer benefits those it once represented. After being elected in 2024, the new Labour government made cuts to the winter fuel payment for pensioners to appease international financial markets, which led to a collapse in polling support, particularly among older voters.
Before the election, Labour’s response to a major strike wave in the UK further exemplified its distance from workers. Instead of supporting striking workers, Labour leader Keir Starmer advised MPs to avoid picket lines. Workers welcomed the few Labour MPs who joined them, but they were frustrated by the absence of the Party Leadership.
The Labour Party, along with other social democratic parties, increasingly abandons redistributive policies, opting instead for neoliberal economic strategies. The result is a growing wealth gap: while the UK’s billionaires have amassed almost £1tn, the country’s poorest face rising poverty. Over four decades, productivity grew while wages stagnated, exacerbating inequality.
The promise of social mobility that was long used to justify inequality has been shown to be false. The class system is now more rigid, with poverty often persisting across generations. Meanwhile, access to housing has become more difficult, and health outcomes have worsened, particularly in working-class areas.
A widening gap between voters and those who represent them
Despite this, recent polling reveals that many working-class voters hold progressive views. They support public ownership of essential services, taxes on the wealthy, and more equitable access to education and jobs. However, these preferences are at odds with the policies pushed by the British establishment.
The gap between voters’ desires and political leaders’ actions is widening, reflected in the growing disillusionment with mainstream parties. People are questioning a system that seems increasingly controlled by a distant elite, rather than by those who represent their interests.
In Red Wall areas, material conditions have worsened. Poverty among children has risen, social care spending has fallen, and life expectancy has decreased. At the same time, the state’s response to these challenges has been inadequate, with austerity measures exacerbating the problem.
The insurgent mood in the country is evident in the high rates of abstention at elections, the Brexit referendum, and the rise of parties like Reform UK.
Echoes of past mistakes
Labour’s failure to meet the needs of working people echoes past mistakes. In 1929, a Labour government made cuts to appease fiscal orthodoxy, ignoring the needs of its base. Similarly, today’s Labour government has embraced austerity, alienating core sections of its voters.
To truly transform the material conditions of working people, Labour must reject the current economic system and pursue radical change. It needs to understand the hardships faced by working people and take decisive action. An embryonic majority for transformation exists across the country, from the North to the South, and across various social groups.
The UK government must reject further austerity measures and address the real needs of its citizens. Democratic socialism is the only way forward, but the left in the UK must unite and make its voice heard once again.
- This article is from CLPD’s annual briefing, which you can read here.
- Jon Trickett is Labour MP for Normanton and Hemsworth.
- If you support Labour Outlook’s work amplifying the voices of left movements and struggles here and internationally, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon.
