Tonight, the Labour Party will use its Party Political Broadcast slot to screen a short video that talks about what can be achieved when you believe and fight for those beliefs. It is a positive message that I fully support. I wouldn’t normally post about the party’s broadcasts, but this one is special. Please watch the video below and I hope you will know what I mean.
I was sitting in the hall at Labour’s Annual Conference in Brighton when I first saw this video. I was sitting amongst a group of Prospective Parliamentary Candidates, who like me, believe that the General Election isn’t lost and that there our values are worth fighting for, in good times and bad. I went to that conference wanting Labour to come out fighting and offer real solutions to the problems the nation faces. This video summed up that determination that, for me, was evident from the podium to the audience.
I am really proud that the party listened to those online who called for this video to be Labour’s next Party Political Broadcast. And remember…it is the fighters and believers that change things – even in South West Devon. So next time you see something wrong, don’t pass by, but get involved and make your voice heard. Whether that is about the incinerator near Ivybridge, the missing swimming pool in Plymstock or the potholes in the roads in Plympton we can make a difference if we believe and go and fight for those beliefs that things can be better.
I’d be really keen to hear your views about this video. Use the comment tab on the top right of this post to let me know what you think.
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I understand why you like this video and can imagine that it would inspire any Labour Party PPC. Not sure it is going to win you any extra votes though. Not sure it is going to engage the disinterested mass of people that you need to get on board if you are to stand a chance of winning, and I am certain that it will irritate all Conservative voters.
As soon the broadcast started talking policies and I heard the word ‘Sure Start’ I have to admit I felt slightly nauseous. Nelson Mandella was a great man (but not a Labour Party politician) as was Nye Bevan (great, but he was in the past, and things change), the vote for women was a fantastic achievement and the way the UK stood up against Hitler and the far right is something we can all be proud of – but to then go on to talk about Sure Start and NHS targets and policies, leaves one feeling a little ‘cold’ (not to say that Sure Start hasn’t been good or that we don’t appreciate getting seen by a specialist when suspected of cancer a lot quicker) – but to equate great people and great achievements in history with some of the more positive steps forward by the Labour Party, something just doesn’t feel right about that (well not for me anyway).
Problem with any political party is that they are all made up of good people and bad. To suggest that any one party is all good and another one all bad, most people just don’t buy that anymore – which I think is a good thing.
You will always get people that are born and bred in a single political party – there will always be some people that will truly believe in a party and vote for that party – however much their policies and directions change over time. But other people will look at individuals, they will look for people that they can trust, and possibly aspire to be like, and if a party has quite a few inspirational people, then I think they stand a better chance of winning votes. This is why the Democrats won in America, not because of their policies, but because of Obama. He was (and is) a great man, that sought out the weak and oppressed people in society and spoke up for them and helped them find their own voice too (yes, he really did ‘empower’ people). He gave people incredible hope and proved that any person, regardless of their background or race, can achieve great things. Most people voted for Obama, not the Democratic Party.
The first part of the video is inspirational because it shows some really great figures. The second part talks about policies – and policies mean politics, which is what most people to be honest are sick of hearing. Ask any Tom, Dick or Harry in the street what they think about your video, and they’ll just tell reply ‘you are all as bad as each other’.
If politicians reallly want to disengage the disinterested then they must look inside themselves and start living like great people do. Politics should be about people first, policies second. Great people will work out some great policies, but great policies will never be enough without the great people first.
Show me a great man that is not afraid to speak up for the weak and oppressed, and tell the truth, whatever the consequences, and I’ll vote for him. (Come to think of it, the Labour Party does have a few great men – Tony Ben I think is one of them, never afraid to speak out what he believes to be true and stand on the side of the people without a voice, and then there’s George Galloway – oh no, you kicked him out, shame!)
So Luke, no pressure, but I will be interested to see how your future progresses – and whether you will keep on fighting to help people get their voices heard – even if that voice might not always fall in line with party policies. Maybe you could be one of the future leaders that your party badly needs? Maybe people might even grow to trust you?
And then you wouldn’t need a fancy video with dramatic music and inspirational figures from history to get people to vote for your party – you could just turn on the camera, and speak truth, and we’d all be shouting ‘Go Luke! Go Luke!, and then they would vote for you.’
Well, you did ask for honest feedback… That was just my opinion.