@thecatfromjapan
I'm getting a real sense that people don't think Labour is 'on their side'.
Would that be right?
There's that, theres the not listening, there's the being told actively that they are wrong in a condescending manner by members and actual representatives of the party.
Don't get me wrong here the Liberal Democrats are definitely giving the same vibe.
So in this dynamic you have the Tories who at least appear to be willing to engage on certain subjects which are off limits due to the culture war even if this isn't followed through or is actively in practice completely gone against in actual policy terms.
The barrier is communication above all else. Something that can not be blamed on mass media and journalists when this is the experience many (as highlighted by posts on this thread) are having is with one to one conversations with members of the party(s).
They are made to feel they are not welcome within the party or to even engage on certain policy matters because it doesn't fit in with the members beliefs and their chosen line.
There is no debate / discussion going on with the public. Its top down dictate.
In reality in terms of how this plays out with voters thats what they remember more than anything. However they were treated with contempt. The number of people who get to comparing policy between parties is surprising low. And why are you going to bother to do that when you are told to your face that your concerns are worthless, unimportant or even bigotted?
Its a massive issue in arrogance. Its driven primarily by puritanical thinking. Its fed by echo chambers on social media and certain educational and workplace settings which have for a number of years deliberately worked to intimidate in a variety of ways. I'm not just talking 'woke' politics here. Its about how you articulate an argument - people with a certain standard of education talk 'the right language' whereas if you lack that skill to construct an argument rather than you be treated with an open mind that maybe beneath how you say it, there might be a very valid concern / point thats being otherwise missed. Therefore its dismissed as just a thicko who can't argue rather than someone who has something to say but isnt good at conveying that message in a way that others can grasp and resonants.
It is a growing gulf in intellectualisation but not necessarily intelligence. Its almost systematic and institutionalised prejudice against those who don't say the right things, don't have the right word salad and don't dress/speak etc the right way. It deliberate intimidation of those who dont follow the orthodoxy.
That doesn't endeer anyone to them.
Just yesterday i had a local LD councillors come down the street canvassing. He damn well knows my feelings. He looked embarrassed and unsure whether to talk to me but did out of politeness as i was stood on the drive. Not once did he ask me about how i was considering voting this time. And interestingly they only canvassed my street with the well off houses. I live two doors down from the end of the street. At the end of the street is a council estate. They didn't even bother knocking on doors there. That for me smacked of the same attitude that certain people are not worthy of their time. Ironically they actually have a candidate standing for parish who lives on that street.
The same is happening with Labour. The barking thing is that Labour wont spend time bothering with our street nor the council estate next to us because we are both deemed a lost cause. Too Tory, too poor, too rich or dont vote enough.
We have all got into the habit of not voting FOR something preferring to vote AGAINST something. A lot was made of how Corbyn did a lot better in 2017 than expected. Thats more due to the voting against the tories rather than voting for Corbyn. Thats why come 2019 the Labour vote bombed because it was, by that point, a futile exercise to even consider Brexit and people were jaded by it all and just wanted to move on. So you didnt get the viting against the Tories effect in quite the same way (particularly in more affluent middle class areas which were more centre ground or even Tory but pro-EU).
Starmer for me doesn't stand for anything. He's too busy playing it safe and not wiling to make a point until the Tories are already backed in a corner. The 'Captain Hindsight' label from the Tories is cutting through. Starmer isn't willing to break ranks on anything or take a stand because he's terrified of infighting breaking out within his own party. He sit on the fence and doesn't take the bull by the horns on certain issues because they are 'too controversial' and will cause offence.
Its been fascinating seeing Labour tear itself apart over a leaflet in Warrington which talks about travellers. The national party didn't like the tone and wording because its offensive. The trouble is the subject matter is an issue that has been of concern to local residents for a number of years due to ongoing antisocial behaviour issues over a period of time. It lead to lots of backtracking and rewording of how it shoukd have been written. And lots of accusations about why it wasn't picked up by all the many people who vetted the leaflet. From my experience these things are only seen by two, maybe three people all who are local and it never gets raised to any level in the chain of command. It reflected what sentiment of the public was and this wasn't liked. Yes there are issues of discrimination etc here but no one wants to solve the problem that people living with the issues that have been raised have had to deal with for years and years. They are only interested in using the correct language to show how inclusive they are.
Its about pr not solving real life problems. Its the ultimate legacy of the Blairite years of spin. The Tory party have learnt about what has cut through and traction in turns of what they can get away with and what they can spin.
The failure to see a public backlash when one is occurring, is the difference between Labour & the LDs and Tory party. The Tory party are focusing not on their membership when campaigning but the public (the membership and donors are important AFTER votes are counted not before) whereas its the other way around for Labour and the LDs. They are only interested in their grassroots and not the wider world. And thats the heart of your problem.
Ask people why they should vote for Starmer beyond 'because he is not Johnson / the Tory party'. You will struggle to get an answer from a non party member which gives a reason to vote FOR Starmer in a positive proactive rather than reactionary way.
This was the lesson i learnt studying political communication in 1996. Negative based campaigns tend to do worse. People vote differently if they feel they have something to vote FOR. Tell me how Starmer is doing on this front?