Great start, more to come.
The Power Test co-founder Ed Owen glimpses behind the scenes of the making of the podcast to talk about where we are and where we want to go next - with a big message of thanks for all our supporters.
We’re just four episodes in and we’ve been blown away by the response we’ve had to the podcast since it launched a month ago. Thousands of people are listening in each week – and the feedback we’re getting has been positive and constructive.
The critics have been kind too. Rachel Cunliffe of the New Statesman wrote that “If you’re a political obsessive, you’ll adore it” while The Week described us as “a terrific new podcast” worth seeking out.
It’s certainly encouraging to know The Power Test is meeting the demand for thoughtful and serious discussion about the why, what and how of creating political change, and we’ve already heard some fascinating insights from guests like Alastair Campbell, Claire Ainsley, Lord Jim O’Neill, Stella Creasy MP and Professor Anand Menon.
But, before I reflect on what we have learnt so far and our plans for the future, I owe you an explanation of where The Power Test has come from and who the people behind it are.
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A podcast with real purpose
The first thing to say is that we’re not a big company with lots of money and experience.
Quite the reverse. We are a handful of people – political nerds, some might say – from different political backgrounds and with different day jobs (most of the work is done voluntarily and in people’s spare time!) united in a desire to see Britain change for the better.
I’m a lifelong Labour supporter and a former political adviser in Tony Blair’s Labour government. But others in the group don’t share my politics, coming from a broad range of different traditions, including from other parties and those of none. That’s a huge strength and ensures the podcast embraces a range of ideas and insights from across and beyond the usual arbitrary boundaries and dividing lines of political debate.
This is one of the many reasons (beyond their immense wisdom, skill and humour) why Ayesha and Sam are so good as hosts and co-creators because they also come from quite different perspectives – Ayesha as a former “spin doctor” to Labour leaders and Sam an ex-policy wonk advising Michael Gove.
We’re working with a great podcast production company called Tempo & Talker to ensure that the product itself is really good quality. But we certainly didn’t create The Power Test for the money and so to get the podcast started we’ve been reliant on the generosity of a handful of organisations and people who share our commitment, including David Kogan, the Laura Kinsella Foundation and the Centre for Progressive Policy.
We’re hugely grateful to them, as well as to the dozens of people who help financially by joining our community. This will enable us to maintain and grow what we do – so please do urge your family, friends and colleagues to join up too!
When we started the podcast, we were determined to tackle the big question of whether the Tories are finished and the most challenging issues that face Labour and those looking for political change – and we’ve certainly done that.
Packing a punch
The first episode saw Alastair Campbell – no stranger to podcasts, of course – discuss with Keir Starmer’s former policy chief, Claire Ainsley, what Labour need to do not only to win the next General Election but to develop a political programme capable of delivering real change in government.
Alastair was forthright (when is he not forthright?) in arguing that Labour needed to ditch the “Ming vase strategy” in favour of something “big, bold and exciting”. “I think what people are looking for is more of the latter. and [for Labour to] be bolder to shape the wider political debate. He argued that the party needs to “win big” by “generating a sense of hope and optimism in the country that if we do get rid of the Tories, it can be so much better.”
Claire said Labour’s positive showing in the English local elections in early May, particularly in pro-Brexit areas of the country, showed that Starmer’s strategy to rebuild Labour’s coalition of working class voters and socially liberal Metropolitans was working.
Episode two saw EU-expert Anand Menon, of the UK In A Changing Europe, and Stella Creasy MP, Chair of the Labour Movement for Europe, reflect on how to clear up the mess of Brexit. We published some polling carried out for us by More in Common showing that half of all voters don’t know what Labour’s position on the EU is, and fewer than one in five could correctly identify it from a series of options.
For Stella, this argued for Labour to take a stronger position with a commitment to seek access to the single market and a new customs union. “We’re really clear in the Labour Movement for Europe that you can’t make Brexit work,” she said. “We could have the fastest growth in the G7 outside of the single market. But it’s a hell of a lot easier if we can get access to the single market to achieve that ambition.
“I think what people want from their politicians is clarity. So absolutely. The Labour Party saying it wants a closer relationship with Europe, I think there’s merit in setting out what that looks like and where that comes from.”
Episode three focused on the economy and, more specifically, whether Labour need a new “golden rule” to enable a future government to borrow more to invest in infrastructure and other long-term projects. Former Tory Minister and top economist Lord (Jim) O’Neill argued that such a change is vital if the economy was to increase long term growth.
He added that Labour’s current economic mission to be the fastest growing economy in the G7 is “kind of daft really.”
“I like a lot of what's behind it. But it's a bit silly. I'm somebody that has spent the best part of 40 years looking at global growth and, obviously, there's another six countries you can't do anything about how they grow directly. But, much more importantly than that, it's not a really credible sign of ambition because one of the things is that most of those G7 countries don't grow very well either.
“We have to get out of the conventional way of thinking that has taken hold across the whole of the world because otherwise we haven't got the slightest chance of getting out of the situation we're in.”
Appearing alongside the IPPR’s Carys Roberts, rising Labour star Darren Jones MP, Chair of the Trade and Business Select Committee, supported the current party’s position and urged a greater emphasis on the reform of public services to ensure they delivered more.
Serious about power
Finally, this week’s episode focused on the hot topic of immigration in the wake of ONS figures showing net migration to the UK was at a record level. Ayesha and Sam were joined by former Home Secretary Alan Johnson and migration expert Madeleine Sumption.
Traditionally, a difficult issue for Labour, Alan argued that Labour was right to articulate a “centre ground” position on immigration.
“It shouldn’t be a big political issue. There is a political consensus. Immigration has been good for this country and it has to be controlled. The people who come here should contribute to the economy, pay their taxes and obey the law.”
Alan urged Labour to introduce ID cards to curb illegal immigration and said it was right to rule out a return to free movement of people from the EU.
“There's no one more enthusiastic about the European Union than me. I led the Labour campaign. But realpolitik is what Keir Starmer is dealing with and realpolitik says you don't go anywhere near anything that looks like you're saying to the British public: ‘you made the wrong decision and, as very clever people who are much cleverer than you, [we] are going to reverse your decision.’”
He added that Labour had been wrong not to back Theresa May’s initial Brexit deal and dismissed calls for Labour to rejoin the EU. “Let's get this right off the table and keep it off the table, there is going to be no reapplication to join the European Union.”
Such a strident position will disappoint and even dismay many natural Labour supporters, and over the four episodes of The Power Test we have heard and discussed these sort of trade-offs and compromises that an opposition party serious about power must make in order to win support and shape a credible programme of change.
The road ahead
Yet, as each of the episodes so far have highlighted, there are risks too from an overly cautious approach that fails to motivate sufficient numbers of voters looking for something bold to offer hope in a bleak economic environment.
Labour’s poll ratings appear to suggest that, as Claire said in episode one of The Power Test, that its electoral strategy is working. But focus groups and the same polls reflect a lack of enthusiasm for Keir Starmer and Labour despite a deep dislike of a Conservative Government that has served up three Prime Ministers in three years and presided over the current economic crisis.
And questions will continue as to whether cautious policy decisions are weakening a future Labour government’s ability to address the big challenges the UK faces, particularly on the economy.
This ongoing tension will continue to be present throughout the next episodes too, I’m sure, as we tackle thorny issues like the housing crisis, culture wars and NHS reform.
And we are determined to give our growing community a greater voice in shaping these debates over the next few weeks too with more written content on our website that gives you the listener the opportunity to comment on issues and submit ideas.
Thanks so much for being part of our journey so far. We will continue to provide you with stimulating discussions and debates on key issues and, with your help, exert real influence and impact too.
Come join us.
Ed Owen is a co-founder of The Power Test and a political communications professional. He was special adviser to Jack Straw in the Home Office and Foreign Office between 1997 and 2005.
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