Small-l Localism beckons Miliband

If Ed Miliband was hoping for a quiet, business-as-usual start to 2012, his post-festive optimism was rudely spurned by a cold – and very much “blue” - reality. 

A subtle but stinging attack from Glasman

Last Thursday (January 5), Lord Maurice Glasman – Labour peer and architect of the controversial “Blue Labour” ideology – launched a subtle but stinging attack on the opposition leader. Writing in the New Statesman, Glasman accused Miliband of a failing “sectional agenda, (which is) based on the idea that disaffected Liberal Democrats and public-sector employees will give Labour a majority next time around”. 

This is perhaps the most caustic advertisement yet of wavering party faith in the leader. “We (the party) show no relish for reconfiguring the relationship between the state, the market and society,” Glasman argues, “the world is on the turn, yet we do not seem equal to the challenge”. Stark criticism indeed. 

The inevitable media hyperbole that followed was rushed out in pretty predictable terms. The Guardian strung a panel of journalists together and asked them to confer judgement on “What Ed Needs To Do Now”, while Labourlist, an independent Labour website, ran the imaginatively entitled piece; “Labour’s Plan A Has Failed”. 

Yet beyond the press imbroglio, some important points have been missed: chiefly, that the most significant attack yet on Miliband’s leadership comes from a leftist academic who staunchly espouses local, democratic forms of community management. This indicates the political solvency of general ‘localism’ ideals (emphasis on the small-l), and suggests that localism per se is now firmly rooted in the cross-party political consciousness. Could it be that Ed is hopelessly overlooking a Labour-style localism – such as Glasman’s small-c conservative, Guild socialism-esque “Blue Labour” - in his search for policy alternatives to challenge the coalition? If so, does this mean that localism (or at least strives for greater community politics) will remain a fixed feature of British political discourse?

A politics of responsibility and reciprocity

Jim Murphy, the Shadow Secretary of Defence, followed up on Glasman’s remarks, stating that the Labour leadership cannot stand to gain “genuine credibility” without accepting some cutbacks to government spending. The implication here is that Labour also needs to start thinking out loud about how community politics can foster (as Glasman dubs it) a “relational” politics among people; a politics of responsibility and reciprocity. 

Putting aside policy matters for a moment, there are glaring indicators in popular culture that suggest a collective desire for greater community spirit. Forget Tory trees, Labour roses and Lib Dem birds; one of today's most ubiquitous - and pluckily British - political images is the crown of King George VI, sat atop the defining mantra of good ol' Blighty: Keep Calm and Carry On. 

Rekindling a cosy British stoicism

This populist reappropriation of a wartime morale-boost sticks, and for good reason. For better or worse, the coalition's austerity measures (as played out against a backdrop of global monetary woe) have rekindled a cosy British stoicism somewhat lost in New Labour's “grand” project.  Where once it was “Spend! Spend! Spend!”, the common wisdom now is “Circle wagons! Tighten purses! Show those pesky French what a triple-A really looks like!” Populist attitudes have almost subconsciously endorsed - if not explicit localism – then at least a “community” ideal. 

Community politics is very much trending

All of which suggests the following: community politics, whether under the guise of “Localism”, “reciprocity” , “relational politics” or any other branding, is very much trending in the political world right now, and looks set to do so well into the future. Ed Miliband and the Labour leadership would do well to consider seriously the standpoint of figures like Glasman, who articulate viable and alternative political strategies at the local level which simultaneously cater to the majority vogue for greater “community togetherness”. Small-l localism is here to stay; the question is not “will Labour throw their hat into the ring?”, but rather, “when?”


By Callum Barton