With a general election looming in the UK, the Labour Party’s shadow ministers have been instructed to submit policy ideas for the party’s manifesto before the end of the week. The party is grappling with how to put ideas into action, particularly as only a handful of shadow ministers have previously held ministerial positions. Additionally, the party must demonstrate how a Labour government, constrained by the economy and an array of self-denying ordinances on tax, could make a difference.
Leading the effort to turn policies into actionable legislation is Lucy Powell, Shadow Leader of the House and a former Chief of Staff to Ed Miliband. Powell brought together a team to oversee the process of transforming policies into implementable laws. The team includes Sir Keir Starmer’s current Chief of Staff, Sue Gray, a former senior civil servant, and the Shadow Attorney General and the party’s chief whips in both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Additionally, Shadow Minister Jonathan Ashworth attended some meetings to anticipate and neutralize potential Conservative attacks.
If Labour wins the election, the party’s King’s Speech would dominate their early priorities. The team is also exploring potential other measures to pass if Labour completes a full first term. Although none of this is set in stone until the manifesto is agreed, insiders suggest the party has a “tableau of options” for the roughly 20 proposed bills that would be announced in the event of a Labour victory.
Economic and financial measures, including Rachel Reeves’ “fiscal lock,” which ensures that chancellors cannot ignore or bypass the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, are likely to be produced and enacted early on. The shadow cabinet is also exploring extensive legislation on employment rights, as well as the party’s mission on clean energy legislation, which could address everything from housing to offshore wind capacity. The committee is looking to get bills passed and not just what to prioritize, to ensure coherent measures that can be implemented quickly.
Labour has until February 8th to finalize its manifesto, which party officials hope will focus shadow ministers’ minds on ensuring policies are ready. However, they anticipate that some sections of the manifesto may be rather bland “holding statements,” with the possibility of expansion before an autumn poll. Most of the committee’s initial efforts involved sifting through proposals found in the party’s National Policy Forum’s 116-page document, screening for practical ideas and those that might require a longer timeline. Labour seems to have a strong desire to establish a clear connection between the manifesto, the main themes of the election campaign, and the first things that the party would do if it came to power
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More