David Miliband, through his Movement for Change, has identified people who are passionate to change their communities and then paid to train them in community organising.
Our guest writer is Jonathan Cox, of the College of Community Organising, part of David Miliband’s Movement for Change
Many senior figures in the Labour Party have responded to the election defeat by calling for reforms to our structure, for more local campaigning, and to make the Party a living, breathing movement, to complement the electoral machine. No-one doubts that Labour can learn from the success of the model of community organising that has been pioneered by London Citizens and CITIZENS UK.
But so far, only one candidate has understood that the most enduring legacy of community organising is not the winning of the campaign, but the development of people as local community leaders.
That is why David Miliband, through his Movement for Change, has not imposed an issue from above and then sent activists a campaign letter and press release with identikit instructions for action.
Instead, David has identified people who are passionate to change their communities and then paid to train them in community organising so that the 1,000 people enrolled in the Movement for Change’s Future Leaders programme are equipped to take action with their local Party on the most pressing issue in their area.
Having undergone the training himself, David understands one of the central tenets of community organising: that to build a movement you have to put the development of people before policies. So the answer to the rejuvenation of the Labour Party’s grassroots is not to adopt other organisations’ campaigns and turn them into Labour campaigns, but to invest in the development of our members and harness their desire to tackle local issues.
The Movement for Change is training people on a housing development on Tyneside to work with the local Labour Party to get the developer to tarmac their road after three years of delay and obfuscation.
We have trained young leaders in Manchester to work with a local councillor and residents and on their estate to identify worthwhile and winnable issues. And, we have developed leaders in Norwich to organise a campaign against the harsh Conservative Council cuts to street lighting. The Movement for Change is working with people right across the country to organise and win campaigns on local issues – people who will gain skills and experiences that will far outlast the length of the campaign.
And, if you are really to put people before policies in the Labour Party, then we must do more to move towards a less bureaucratic and more relational culture.
Over the past few months I have asked almost everyone I have trained why it is they joined the Labour Party. Not a single person has told me that they joined to pass resolutions at GC or approve the minutes of the last meeting. I have heard some amazing stories that really help to understand people’s motivation to be Labour and provided a basis for collective action – but precious little time is devoted to such relational activity in our Party meetings.
If we are to be a Movement for Change we have to be able to understand and relate to fellow members in our constituency. It is very difficult to do this unless we invest time in getting to know them – and the best way to do this is through the 1-2-1 meeting, which we train all our Future Leaders to do. Our Future Leaders are already seeing that taking the time to meet other individual members and understand their concerns can transform the ability of a local party to act effectively as well as ensuring that it meets the needs and desires of its members.
Putting people before policies is both radical and counter-cultural. It requires a party leadership that respects and trusts its membership to take autonomous action to address local injustices and make the Labour Party relevant to local communities, whether we are in government or opposition, either nationally or locally.
We rightly treasure our traditions and institutions, and a relational culture cannot spring up overnight, but unless we change to our focus from policies to people the Labour Party will not become the movement for change we know it needs to be.
65 Responses to “David Miliband is the man to rejuvenate Labour’s grassroots”
Liz McShane
Anon
“The Lib Dem’s offer the chance of left of centre policies actually being implemented in the next five years – Labour don’t”.
Do you still really believe this after The IFS have officially stated that the recent budget is ‘regressive’ and hits the poorest hardest? A budget that was fully endorsed by your Lib Dem mates and now Clegg has the cheek to criticise the IFS’ findings saying you can’t measure poverty with numbers…?
What drug is the man on?
Chris
@Liz
“What drug is the man on?”
I’ve been wondering the very same thing for a while now.
Anon E Mouse
Liz – The report from the IFS took selective parts of the budget instead of considering it as a whole – it’s called “Lies, damned lies and statistics” and I agree with Clegg – poverty shouldn’t just be measured by the amount of money someone has…
Chris – I assumed you’d headed off to look in a mirror dude – nice to see you back!
Can I ask (again) that you please keep a grip on the compulsive and obsessive side of your nature and REREAD what I’ve said and then come back and ask your question – no one else here seems to have a problem in understanding it.
Remember what you’ve been told Chris; “Always READ the question before answering”
While you’re there you forgot to explain why you thought the OPINION of “Alien from Zog” was more valid as an OPINION than those others I linked to from YOUR own link, you know the ones from The Guardian etc
https://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/08/george-osborne-leading-economists-intergenerational-fairness/#comments
Don’t forget Chris, Labour lost the election for a reason…
Anon E Mouse
Liz – My point was that irrespective of the policies or the influence of those policies on the coalition government, the Lib Dem’s are in a position to AFFECT peoples lives. For the next five years, in a direct capacity Labour are certainly not.
(Did you notice my use of the AFFECT word? I remember someone in April this year telling me how importing affecting peoples lives was…)
Liz McShane
Anon – Yes AFFECT – they are ie by hitting the poorest with their regressive Con Dem policies. It might not seem like that right now, but let’s see what you say circa May 11.
One minute you are criticising Labour for being too right wing & not working class enough and the next minute you are saying or at least inferring the opposite.
I can’t keep up with you!