"It must be a project that not only raises real incomes but actually helps improve the wealth levels of voters who have simply been left behind by the surge in the wealth of the top 1%."

The Labour MP Liam Byrne has said that Labour must tackle inequality or Britain could see the rise of populism as the USA has. He made the comments in an article he wrote for LabourList in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s victory in the US Presidential election.

In the article, Byrne gave his views on the lessons the Labour government should draw from the Democrats’ defeat in the election.

Beginning with his assessment of the dynamics at play in the US election, Byrne wrote: “The places that were left behind by American growth, the places at the sharp end of growing inequality, were far more likely to vote for Trump.

“But guess what?

“The same dynamics hold true for the UK, France, and Scandinavia. Those places where the growth in wealth did nor keep pace with the national average were the places that voted for Brexit, Le Pen in France and the Far Right in Scandinavia.”

Later in the piece, Byrne concluded that in order to prevent the same conditions leading to similar results as those in the USA, Labour needs to address inequality and raise living standards quickly. He wrote: “Investment in our economy to grow our economy is mission critical. But just as important is a project that connects rising prosperity to those families and places that feel they have been left behind.

“It must be a project that not only raises real incomes but actually helps improve the wealth levels of voters who have simply been left behind by the surge in the wealth of the top 1%.”

Byrne is the Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North. He stood unsuccessfully as the Labour candidate in the 2021 West Midlands mayoral election.

Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward

Image credit: UK Parliament – Creative Commons

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