Oxford
In Oxford we spoke to large numbers of people at our campaign stalls on Saturday 6 July, just one day after people woke up to the news that Labour had won in the general election.
Multiple people said they did not feel represented by the major parties, leading to some choosing not to vote. Others voted for one of the local left-wing candidates.
Many people did not believe Labour will reverse the brutal cuts imposed by the Tories, especially in areas such as housing and local services.
Someone had not had a pay rise in some time. They were concerned that Labour’s refusal to invest in services will impact the economy, leading to ever-increasing prices and pay stagnation.
Despite the overall feeling of distrust, there were pockets of people saying Labour should be given a chance. They felt that we should wait and see what Labour does in government before we judge them.
While the exact impact of the Labour government on the working class remains to be seen, the need to put forward a strong socialist programme is as vital as ever.
James Bonner
Leicester
Leicester once again bucked the trend at this election. It is a city that was once a Labour stronghold, with all three city seats being held by them. At the local elections last year and now the general election, Labour has suffered heavy losses. Labour only managed to hold on to Leicester West. Leicester East went to the Tories, the only seat in the country the Tories gained. Leicester South went to Shokat Adam, a pro-Palestine independent who ousted Jon Ashworth from what was supposed to be a safe seat. With the political dynamic of the city seemingly changed, it was interesting to hear what people on the street had to say. The Saturday after the election we set up a stall in the city centre to find out.
Nearly all of those passing and those that stopped to have a conversation were glad to see the Tories gone. Most were holding on to Labour to enact some meaningful change, although this lacked any enthusiasm. I spoke to a man who said he had lost faith in Labour under the leadership of Keir Starmer and couldn’t bring himself to vote for them. He was happy to see an independent candidate win in this city and hoped that the independents, along with the Greens who won across the country, could hold Labour to account.
Likewise we had a few more conversations with people that were receptive to our take on the election and were happy to still see us out campaigning, despite the election being over.
Sam Ward
Mansfield
I called into my local supermarket after getting back from election day stalls and leafleting in Mansfield.
When I came out of the shop, two young women I’d passed in the aisles came up and said they really liked my TUSC T-shirt, had wanted to vote socialist and were disappointed there wasn’t a candidate in Bolsover.
I sold them a copy of the Socialist newspaper. They want to get involved and left contact details. A good spin-off from our Mansfield campaign!
Jon Dale
Plymouth
The mood in Plymouth city centre was quiet, just two days after the hated Tory Government had been removed, and yet there was not much feeling of celebration or jubilation. Of all the conversations we had, not a single person was pleased with our new prime minister. The first response I had when I asked someone their thoughts about the election was “total dogshit.” More than one person said that they didn’t think Keir Starmer’s Labour was going to be any better than the outgoing Tory government. People have been listening to what Labour have to say and they can see no real difference between their policies and the austerity policies of the last 14 years.
More than one person said that things need to change, that we need an alternative to the big two parties swapping power and discussed the idea of proportional representation as an option. When we said that we were working to build a new party of the working class, that was met with more enthusiasm as everyone we spoke to agreed that Labour does not work for us.
In Plymouth we stood as part of TUSC to offer a working-class, socialist alternative as a steps towards this.
Alex Sampson
Swindon
The atmosphere around our post-election stall in Swindon was like the eye of the storm – a moment of calm between two battles. Ironically, the weather was stormy!
Most people were just relieved that the election was over and didn’t want to talk politics, not helped by the wet and miserable weather. There was relief that the Tories are out, desperate hopes that a Starmer government might offer some improvements and trepidation for what could be in store in the near future.
Although few people wanted to stop and talk, we got some positive reactions. A woman repeated our headline: “Tories smashed – fantastic!” Another man wordlessly came up to the stall and dropped a £5 note into our collection tin, and later another did the same with a handful of change.
A few who stopped to talk were cautious about Starmer but were prepared to ‘give him a chance’. The NHS was top priority, with a couple of people saying they would judge the Labour government by whether they could reduce waiting lists quickly.
Despite the desperate hope that Starmer’s New Labour must offer some reprieve from the battering of the last 14 years, even those who were prepared to give Starmer some leeway agreed with us that Starmer is going to be under enormous pressure from the bosses to make cuts and attack workers’ wages, and responded well to our message that the best way to counter this pressure is an organised and fighting workers’ and trade union movement.
Now the Tories are out, it’s clear that many people are looking for a ‘return to normality’ and the chance to ‘switch off’ from politics. This is understandable but will be elusive. The day of the election, I was recognised at a petrol station by a Royal Mail worker. She thanked me for standing as the TUSC candidate for Swindon North and we had a brief chat about the Royal Mail dispute, and why we were standing in Swindon. Our campaign has obviously reached some of the right people!
As socialists, we know that there will be no return to normality. Getting out on the streets, even when the going is tough, distinguishes us as fighting campaigners. We’ll be there as working-class consciousness develops leaps and bounds in this new period.
Scott Hunter
Smethwick, Black Country
With Starmer’s Labour in full effect and the 14 years of Tory rule abolished, we set up a campaign stall on Bearwood High Street to capture the immediate reactions of the locals and to show the Socialist Party’s ongoing efforts to affect change post-election.
Despite a gentle drizzle, a handful of eager people stopped to talk about the new political landscape. Among them, one middle-aged man stopped to speak about his worries for the coming five years; being aware of the flimsy promises Starmer has made. He echoed a common sentiment that Labour’s fight against further council cuts could falter. An NHS worker, reflecting on the mismanagement of funds under previous Labour leadership through private contracts and senior management, expressed doubts about any significant changes under Starmer. Their first-hand experience highlighted the urgency of nationalising not just the NHS but all public services.
Bearwood’s high street stall painted a vivid picture of a community grappling with the pessimistic realities of a new Labour government unlikely to provide much, and yearning for genuine change in a time of political ambiguity.
Ravaldeep Bath
