For progressives, for utopians and those just plain tired of bad government, this is a time to be in a celebratory mood. After what feels like an eternity of writing about politics in a perpetual state of gloom, I am beginning to glimpse what might be the rhythm of cautious optimism in my keyboard strokes.
I must admit, there were moments during the general election of 2024 when I felt I was going to end up disappointed. The Labour campaign, built on a ‘Ming vase’ strategy, left me uninspired and clamouring for boldness on the injustices I care deeply about. Instead, for most of us, Labour offered nothing more than a cautious and understated proposition. No flashy proposals, no big announcements, an almost unbearable silence on inequality and poverty, and the avoidance of tackling anything that might turn out to be a third rail in politics.
For supporters of the strategy, this was the only sensible approach. The country, they argued, has had enough of flashy politics and the empty rhetoric of populists. It was, they said, time for grown-up politics. Certainly, when set against the tragicomedy of the Conservative campaign and the agonising populism that has characterised at least the last five years, being a bit, well, boring might just have paid off.
Yes, commentators are right to say that Labour’s landslide victory is a mile wide and an inch deep. The turnout was dangerously low and coupled with the vote share to Reform, there is much to worry about in terms of trust in politics. The left is also fragmented, with anger on Gaza and the afterglow of the Corbyn era looming large in this election. We also cannot ignore the background noise of verbal abuse and threats of violence that seemed to be the daily experience of some candidates during the campaign, particularly those women subjected to loud misogyny.
Commentators are also right to say that this was a kick against the Tories rather than a compelling shift to Labour. My goodness though, it’s a start. For supporters, the result itself is enough to get excited about, but those of us interested in social policy will be looking for signals that this new government is going to be as grown up when in charge as it projected itself to be in opposition. And being grown up means leaning into some of our most entrenched social problems and taking on the hard task of rebuilding what feels like a very damaged social and civil landscape. In my forthcoming book The Kindness Fix, I talk about the need for compassionate courage, something that has been very much absent over the past 14 years.
It’s early days, but the signs are pointing in the right direction.
First up, tone. Ours has been a politics of division for too long. The dominance of a faux culture war, designed only to position us against one another and drive discontent, has been one of the most damaging effects of the past decade. Politicians seemed to have thrived on this attack strategy, using ‘dead-cat’ tactics to distract us from seemingly intractable issues and to direct our rage away from governmental incompetence and/or intransigence. We have been consumed by a relentless focus on imagined enemies, while all the while the things we value about a healthy society have been allowed to wither under the relentless austerity agenda and its aftermath.
Instead, we have a speech from the new Prime Minister that avoids bombastic language and hubris. We see notes of humility (‘my government will serve you’) and the avoidance of quick ‘oven-ready’ fixes or easy claims so beloved by populists (‘changing a country is not like flicking a switch… this will take time’). Starmer wants to be ‘unburdened by doctrine’ so that he can ‘restore service and respect to politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives and unite our country’. This really does matter.
For all the peaks and troughs of personal popularity experienced by egotistical and charismatic politicians, there is a disturbing downward trend in what political theorist David Easton referred to as ‘diffuse’ trust in politics. I am less concerned about whether a particular politician or party is trusted – this will always be in flux. I am however very concerned about what happens when we begin to lose trust in the ‘democratic structures and institutions of society’. This kind of trust is difficult to strengthen when weak, and we are seeing what this looks like when it manifests in support for far-right positions or low turnout. Indeed globally, this is one contributing factor to the ‘mild but protracted democratic recession’ that has occurred over the past 18 years.
Let’s move beyond Starmer’s speech though, since warm words are in anyone’s gift; it is the action that matters most. On this point, there are also good signs. One of the moments when I was caught by genuine and delightful surprise was in the announcement of the new cabinet and ministers, and one in particular: the appointment of James Timpson, former CEO of Timpson, as Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Parole.
Timpson shops are a recognisable feature on the British high street with around 2,000 stores fixing shoes, cutting keys, taking passport photos and so on. What makes it such an interesting company is its commitment to providing meaningful training and job opportunities for people leaving custody. Around 10 per cent of the Timpson workforce has served time. The company invests in training, mentoring and interviewing prisoners to prepare them for work, finding homes and paying deposits, and much more besides. I describe its approach in detail in my book, but the results are incredible: it boasts brand loyalty, high levels of staff retention and commitment, and its direct recruitment saves overhead and advertising costs. For wider society, the benefits are profound. To take only one example, the risk of reoffending, which currently costs us around £9.5 to £13 billion a year, is significantly reduced. One case study estimated Timpson’s savings to the taxpayer to be around £81 million!
Bringing Timpson into government is a bold and welcome step on the road to genuine criminal justice reform. It is action that puts the concept of ‘service’ into practice and brings real expertise to bear in one of the most agonising public policy failures of the past 30 years.
I am under no illusion that I will continue to experience frustration at government failure in addressing longstanding social policy problems. I know that things I care deeply about will continue to be ignored.
But for the first time in a very long time, I feel like we have a government willing to bring back the notion that these issues are worthy both of attention and of action. In place of loud and easy proclamations, I’ll take a more cautious, and dare I say, boring courage any day of the week.
Dr Jason Wood is a trained youth worker and academic and has spent over two decades teaching, researching, and campaigning on social justice issues. He is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and an Associate Professor of Social Policy at the University of Nottingham Malaysia.
The Kindness Fix by Jason Wood is available on the Bristol University Press website. Order here for £12.99.
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