Government needs to tackle the inequality damaging all parts of our economy and society

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that new research from Stop the Squeeze finds that voters are most concerned about the cost of living, the collapsing NHS, and the economy. What is a surprise, however, is that this same research finds that voters don’t think our political parties are: barely a fifth of swing voters think the cost of living is a priority for the Conservatives or Labour.

Maybe surprise is the wrong word; we’re hardly the first to point out that both major parties are shying away from addressing our various crises. Polls and studies have shown for decades that the electorate agree with us that society needs to be more equal and the policies to achieve this are overwhelmingly popular with all segments of society. But it is still strange that both parties are keen to talk about their key swing voters, but evidently not to them.

Often, an imagined swing voter is trotted out instead. Stevenage Woman or Workington Man need tax cuts to cope with the cost of living, they say, and are nervous about big interventions like nationalisation. They’re disillusioned and don’t see the benefit to big changes to distribution. And they’re totally invented; Stop the Squeeze’s research shows this narrative to be completely false. 

They find Labour’s plan of saying very little has left nearly half of swing voters unsure what Labour’s priorities are. Nearly 4 in 10 swing voters think neither party would do a good job on the cost of living. Voters like Labour’s message on economic security, but they get an additional 13 point boost among the key swing demographic when they add bolder policy ideas that Labour’s not offering. 

Why the lack of ambition? Take energy prices as an example: Stop the Squeeze’s research makes clear voters would prefer direct intervention to the vague promise of tax cuts. It’s a huge problem for key swing voters in marginals around the country, and it has a clear solution that’s polled well for many years: a nationalised energy company would save households up to £5,000 in the next two years, according to analysis from the TUC. An effective, popular solution to a crisis; you’d expect politicians to fall over themselves to claim it. 

Instead, our parties are standing still. Sunak’s approach of insisting voters don’t understand how much support they’re getting is unlikely to do much to help. Labour’s planned Great British Energy is being promoted as an answer to EDF or Vattenfall that can lower bills and reap profits but, unlike those state-owned energy companies, will only manage investments with the private sector and won’t supply power to consumers at all, making it almost impossible to affect bills. 

Inflation is the same story. It’s becoming impossible to not conclude that the UK’s inflation is the second-highest in the G20 because it’s not removing the actual source of excess money: obscene corporate profits. The US, Spain, Italy and others have recognised this and drastically reduced inflation through wealth taxes, windfall taxes, and other actions on profits. Sunak and Starmer are seeing the same headlines about 889% increases to British Gas profits as we are, and if they have any doubts about the popularity of raising tens of billions through one-off windfall taxes or up to £37bn annually, then rest easy: the dozens of polls showing these taxes as popular are backed up by Stop the Squeeze’s research showing swing voters also want profiteering to be met with taxes on the richest in society.

We’re very clear that making the UK more equal, urgently, is a huge political win-win. Starmer and Sunak love talking about tough decisions – well embrace the tough decision to tackle the inequality damaging all parts of our economy and society, while creating enormous profit for the rich and powerful. We can only mend our struggling economy and hurt communities by making our society more equal. 

Of course it’s easier for politicians to seek comfort blanket politics and their ideological delusion that the status quo is sustainable. But we need them to engage with the politics of reality: we’re locked in crisis, and we need bold solutions. Anything less won’t cut it with Stevenage Woman.

Dario Goodwin is senior digital engagement officer at The Equality Trust

Comments are closed.