Hywel Lloyd, LCC Co-founder

We hope you’ve all had time for family, friends and yourselves this summer break; and perhaps, like us, that’s given you time to refresh and reframe.

Philip Collins’ “Memo to Keir Starmer: the three things to remember before you give the speech of a lifetime” in the Observer gives us a great opportunity to reply to Phil’s ‘call’. With Conference* fast approaching Phil poses the issues (cost of living, NHS, small boats) and highlights the challenge – what’s the thread that holds Labour’s response together, and makes Sir Keir’s speech more than a list…. ? 

The 2024 General Election provided Labour with a majority of 174. That includes seats where 66 Labour MPs represent coastal communities (a further 40 representing coastal city and estuary seats); as well as ten sparse rural, 39 rural and a further 87 urban with rural seats (we note many ‘urban’ seats are nothing like cityscapes). In Scotland, Labour has 37 MPs; even in London we only have 59 MPs. All in all, Labour MPs represent 157 seats of coast and or country communities, with 130 of them gains in 2024.  

As you’ll appreciate a single seat changing hands between government and opposition parties changes the government majority by two….. So those 130 gains more than account for our majority. The electoral frontline at the next election is beyond the main metropolitan areas.

As others are starting to register, for rural and coastal communities their top issues are largely the same as other communities – health, economy & cost of living, immigration – plus a plea for investment with, rather than at or being done to; i.e. PIMBY (planning in my back yard).

And as others are starting to appreciate, these coast & country communities are the places where much of Labour’s ambitions, our missions, will be delivered — where the grid and new renewables will appear; where nature ‘30 by 30’ and domestic food security will be provided; where many of the 1.5m homes will be built and most of the new towns will go…. 

As Phil indicates there’s a risk that all of Labour’s activity is just a list of things to do, so he suggests strength as the golden thread.  Recalling how Sir Keir has often spoken of people being able to succeed where they grow up, of every town and village thriving, we’d like to suggest Unity, the unity of coast, county and city, as the golden thread.  

Unity, the opposite of divisive, and of course, from unity comes strength. 

That’s why we need to recognise these communities have more in common, than not; to give these communities a voice in the room; to show and tell a coherent pro coast & country ambition from Labour, investing in and with these communities. 

Coming Up:

Conference in Liverpool is only a few weeks away so come and see us to discuss and debate the opportunities for Labour in coast and county constituencies at:   

• The Coastal Reception, Sunday evening, RSVP via the fringe guide
• The Great British Countryside fringe, Monday late afternoon
• The Coast & Country Stand – B13

Photograph by Nicola Tree/Getty