An Independent Voice on Labour Discontent and the Rise of the Far-Right.

Image - Phil Hearing

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The 2024 General Election installed the first Labour government since Brown’s departure in 2010 and the infamous, ‘I’m afraid there is no money’, note. Since then, Keir Starmer’s government has been plagued with controversy, policy U-turns and infighting. This political “flip-flopping” has led Labour’s approval ratings to drop drastically, allowing space for far-right activists and Reform UK to claw their way to relevance.

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The overwhelming consensus on the Labour government is one of feeling let down. After fourteen years of Conservative rule, the Labour slogan of ‘change’ during the election campaign captured the public mood and generated hope for a shifted approach to governance. The Labour communications to the public have been poor and confused, with changes to policy being poorly presented and reverted upon quickly. Changes in public services have also been difficult to see in action, with improvements to healthcare, education and welfare lacking. The two-child benefit cap, the decision to means-test the winter fuel allowance, and the proposal to cut disability allowances have all received backlash. These changes add more pressure to the most vulnerable in society, rather than easing their burden. The increase in employer National Insurance has also contributed to the lack of vacancies in an already limited job market. For the average citizen, these changes are not in their best interest and few see changes in their quality of life.

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This disappointment has paved the way for the party of Farage, promoting ‘reform’ over Starmer’s change. Anger erupted into anti-migrant protests, flags, and nationalistic rhetoric that extended into racism, supported and encouraged by Reform UK politicians. In recent polls, Reform has been polling the best of all parties, with Labour dropping below the Conservatives and the Greens. A ‘findoutnow’ survey found that, if a general election was called tomorrow, 32% of people would vote Reform, whilst only 15% would vote Labour, tied with the Greens. Even the Conservative Party pulled a larger percentage of the vote, with 17%saying they would be willing to put their trust in the Tories again. Perhaps Reform’s driving appeal is that it is not Labour or Conservatives, with 19% saying this was the most attractive reason to vote Reform in a YouGov survey. The second greatest reason for voting Reform (at 18%) was stated to be their immigration policies which have been described by the Prime Minister as ‘racist’ and ‘immoral.’

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This seeming support for Reform has led the Labour Party to shift towards the right in their ideology and policies. Starmer’s speech in May this year used the term ‘island of strangers’ which drew comparisons to the far-right, racist politician Enoch Powell and his 1968 ‘rivers of blood’ speech. Starmer later apologised for this terminology, but has continued to implement right-wing ideas on gender, immigration and welfare.

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Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sandwell’s first elected independent -Councillor Richard Jeffcoat for Tipton Green. He labelled Labour’s tenure so far as a ‘betrayal.’

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Tipton lies in the Borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands, a huge, diverse landscape that forms part of the Black Country. After moving to Tipton in 2017, Cllr Jeffcoat stood in the local election first in 2019 as a Green candidate and then as an independent in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, gaining votes each year. In 2024, he beat the Labour candidate with 1,630 votes to 1,226, whilst the Conservative candidate only picked up 328 votes.

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Cllr Jeffcoat, who in previous years had been a Labour campaigner, told me: ‘I feel more angry about Labour because I don't expect any better from a Tory government, I know what a Tory government does. It looks after the 1%. We know what Tories do, we expect Labour to do better.’ The winter fuel allowance changes have sparked much discontent in Cllr Jeffcoat’s constituency. ‘Everybody knows means testing hurts the people at the bottom. The people who don't like filling in forms, the people who are frightened by filling in forms or can't fill in forms lose out.’ The councillor told me that it is his belief that ‘we have to stick up for the people who are vulnerable’ and currently, Labour just are not doing that.

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Richard told me that he sees himself ‘as very much on the left, I probably count as far left and I just don’t feel like the Labour Party is anything like my home.’ Simultaneously, Cllr Jeffcoat discovered that ‘it turned out that ideologically, my face didn’t fit,’ meaning that he was unable to stand as a Labour candidate in his local area. He found the party to favour those proposed by the head office in London rather than local candidates. This decision causes discontent in the local area:

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‘Local councillors in Sandwell went for the MP candidacy and it instead went to someone from London. My residents think, and they are right to think, that it should be part of the job description that you live here, so that causes a lot of anger. She talks about a place that is 200 miles away, she comes occasionally. I've only met her once.

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Labour have this huge credibility problem on the doorstep because candidates don’t come from around here or believe in the place. Labour could genuinely fix that if they believed in localism, but they want imperialism from the centre. It’s losing the left votes, because it has no credibility as a local party and no longer speaks for the working class.

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The problem is, the election was a catastrophe for the Labour Party. Labour got 11,755votes in the general election of 2024 in Tipton and Wednesbury, less than when they lost in 2019. Less people could be bothered to vote Labour in a Labour landslide year and that says a lot.’

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I asked Richard for his thoughts on the shift towards the right in light of people's disappointment with both the Labour and Conservative parties. He replied:

‘Starmer’s speech at the Labour Party conference about Reform was quite direct about them and I liked that, we need to hear that from Labour and Tory politicians. We need to hear that they are dangerous, that they are racist and they are fascists. But we can't just say don't have them, vote for us. We need to say vote for us because we will change lives, we will make people feel easier, happier, greener, safer. But there was nothing from the Labour Party about that, and that’s a complete betrayal.

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We had three Asian councillors in Tipton Green for three years. I think in a ward that’s 82%white, Labour only putting up Asian heritage candidates is a statement that is not always received well by the electorate. Some residents have said to me they won't speak to councillors who aren’t white. I’m not prepared to put up with that. I have said I don't want or need racist votes and I do believe we don't have as many racists as I’m told. But also, assuming that the majority of non-white people will vote one way is, I’m afraid, a racist posture.

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I think we need more authenticity and people should call racism out if they're in a position of responsibility.’

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Councillor Jeffcoat’s unique position in being elected in the borough as an independent allows him freedom in what he publishes, unrestricted by party lines. He is an individual eager to challenge inequality and injustices, providing a more genuine and relatable approach to politics. This approach, combined with his care for his community in Tipton Green, feels a refreshing break from the Tory, Labour and Reform chaos nationally.