Bridget’s responses

Which coast and country communities of the UK have you:

Lived in?

I grew up on and represented Sunderland, a coastal city in the North East of England. Sunderland’s coastal identity is key to our industrial heritage as major shipbuilding and coal-exporting hub as well as our economy and cultural identity.

Worked in?

After graduating from university, I returned to Sunderland, where I worked in local government and for a local charity, Wearside Women in Need, a domestic abuse charity. Following that, I was elected to represent Houghton and Sunderland South.

Spent leisure time in?

As well as enjoying leisure time in Sunderland and across the coast and countryside of the North East, I also enjoy visiting Lincolnshire, where my husband’s from, the Northumberland coast, and the Yorkshire Dales, all with my family.

Campaigned in?

I have campaigned in coastal and rural seats up and down the country. Over recent years I have campaigned in many many rural, coastal and semi-rural seats — including but by no means limited to Bournemouth East & West, Blyth and Ashington, Hexham, Banbury, Cramlington and Killingworth, Penrith and Solway, Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor, Bishop Auckland, South Shields, South Derbyshire, Lothian East, Hartlepool, both Blackpool constituencies, Hitchin, Selby, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, Whitehaven and Workington, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh.

I was often one of the first members of the then Shadow Cabinet to pay attention to some of the rural seats we went on to win, particularly those in the North East, where we won seats in Hexham and North Northumberland that had never before won or been seriously targeted by the party.

Please describe how these experiences have shaped your view of what Labour can and should do for these communities and places?

Having delivered Labour victories in coastal and rural seats up and down the country we now have voices in Parliament speaking to the issues that impact these communities. From tackling rural poverty, to the buses that people across these communities rely on. My experience in Sunderland and campaigning in our rural and coastal seats across the country has shown me the importance of having an active campaigning presence in these seats.

It is communities like this that I have thought about during my first year as Education Secretary starting to deliver on the promise of change for your constituents.

Free school meals expanded to half a million more children. Free breakfast clubs working with our early adopter schools to ensure we identify and tackle issues like school transport as part of national rollout and expanding our school based nurseries so families in all parts of our country and local access to affordable childcare. I know poverty and lack of opportunity are not just urban phenomena, but are widespread across our country. That’s why some of our early adopter breakfast club schools are in areas like the Derbyshire Dales and Otterburn in Northumberland.

What would you describe as the three most important issues facing communities of the Coast, of the Country?

Connectivity, whether that be physical connectivity through transport infrastructure or digital connectivity through improved broadband, is a huge issue facing country and coastal seats. Issues that I see in the Department for Education often link back to a lack of connectivity. I am working in my current role to ensure that no child loses out on opportunities because they live in a rural or coastal community.

Like the rest of the country, coastal and rural communities are under pressure due to the cost of living. Rural communities often experience a rural premium where basic necessities are more costly because of that lack of connectivity. This too often intensifies poverty in rural and coastal communities.

Finally, coastal and rural communities often suffer from fewer employment opportunities than their urban counterparts. This is something I have been conscious of over the past year, as we work on our skills offer as a government.

How would you describe the electoral coalition you hope to create for 2028/9 victory?

We need to bring together a broad coalition to get re-elected, which includes winning again in the hugely important seats we gained in coastal and rural areas. At the same time as seeing off the threat from Reform we must not lose sight of our progressive values and lose out to the Greens and LibDems in England and to Plaid in Wales — something that I know many rural MPs in particular are concerned about.

How then would you describe your ‘offer’ to communities of the:

a. Coast?

An active campaigning presence, support for a coastal taskforce within the party and a fight against Reform through inclusive campaigning.

b. Country?

Active campaigning presence, embedding rural issues across departments as i’ve done in Education and ensuring that our rural MPs have a seat at the table in delivering for their communities.

What changes would you make to Labour Party organisation to help deliver your ‘offer’ to communities of coast and country?

Our print strategy needs to take into account that for many areas we now have MPs, getting leaflets out is a huge challenge due to the distances needing to be covered. We need to make sure CLPs have the freedom to innovate and adapt their methods to better cover the communities in which they are campaigning.

Lucy’s responses

Which coast and country communities of the UK have you lived in, worked in, spent leisure time in, and campaigned in?

I fondly remember holidays to the coast in Blackpool and Hastings growing up, as well as visits to the Lake District, Peak District, Yorkshire Moors and more. I’ve campaigned all across the country, in towns, villages and our coastal communities. If I listed them all, members would get fairly bored! Labour is at its best when we represent our broad movement, and that includes listening to voices in coastal and rural communities. Towns and cities have often dominated the national debate, but the rich diversity of our country means that without the inclusion of coastal and rural communities, we miss a vital part of our story and our ability to improve things for the entire country.

I will be a strong independent voice for all our members, everywhere, working to ensure we use all the talents of all parts of our Party, including geographically. We need to make the most of the environment, creative and cultural offer at the coast and in the countryside and celebrate the importance of it to our identity and collective memory.

Please describe how these experiences have shaped your view of what Labour can and should do for these communities and places?

People living in coastal and rural areas are proud of their communities, of their heritage and natural beauty. These areas are central to our national identity and vital for a balanced economy that delivers inclusive growth everywhere, not concentrated in cities.

It is clear to me, however, that many people living in coastal and rural communities feel left behind, forgotten about, and disconnected from the rest of the country. That is part of the reason why so many people living in these communities put their trust in Labour at the last election. We gained an additional 130 seats representing coast and country communities, seats which were a vital contribution to our landslide majority.

We must show people in coastal and rural communities that we can deliver the change that they put their trust in us to deliver. That a Labour Government can deliver for them and their community. As a full-time Deputy Leader, I will be a strong voice outside Cabinet but in every constituency and council, helping us reach back into communities so we make better decisions and tell a stronger story about who we’re for and in whose interests we’re serving.

What would you describe as the three most important issues facing communities of the Coast, of the Country?

Each and every community in our coastal and country areas face their own distinct challenges, just like in every part of our country. There are, however, a few common issues that come up time and again when I visit coastal and rural areas or speak to colleagues representing them.

The first is about connection, primarily related to access to transport and local public services. Many rural and coastal communities have been blighted by poor public transport links that can leave those without access to a car isolated. We have seen reports of bus services vanishing, poor rail connectivity (where it exists at all), and worsening quality of roads. Rural and coastal areas often suffer even more acutely from under resourced or over stretched basic public services – many schools in decline or with declining birth rates, lack of healthcare provision and few or no dentists – it’s no wonder many feel isolated, or disconnected. Something we have to tackle.

Second is deprivation, social isolation and lack of opportunity. Young people growing up in our coastal and country areas too often feel like they must leave their homes and go to our cities to be successful. It is of course natural for young people to leave their home areas to study, work and travel, but we need to ensure that our coastal and rural areas are an attractive proposition for young people to build their lives in our communities – to continue their training, to find fulfilling employment, to raise families and enjoy all our areas have to offer. This lack of opportunity in the form of education and training is draining communities in coastal and rural communities of their talented young people.

Third is the environment and nature. Our coastlines and our rural heartlands are undoubtedly the most beautiful parts of our country, and also play a vital role in our nature recovery. They are also hugely important assets to our economy, andattract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
But these vital coastlines, our beaches and rivers, and so many of our rural heartlands have been spoiled by decades ofenvironmental damage, most notably the incessant sewage leakages from water companies. In government I was in charge of legislation, and I’m proud that one of the first Bills we brought in was legislation, now in effect, to ban bonuses for polluting water bosses.

Nature friendly farming, and nature based recovery will play an increasingly important role in improving biodiversity and enhancing the environment in our rural heartlands. With a record number of Labour rural MPs we can work to make sure farmers and the wider rural communities voices are heard, as we work together to protect the best of what rural Britain has to offer.

In each area, this Government has an ambitious agenda to tackle these problems. But, unfortunately, the public aren’t hearing about the real change we’re making, because of the missteps, mistakes and misjudgements we have made. As your Deputy Leader, I will champion our Labour Government as the Government of our rural heartlands and coastal gems, alongside the welcome sustainable development of our urban centres.

How would you describe the electoral coalition you hope to create for 2028/9 victory?

In this campaign, I have been clear that all over the country, we’re at risk of losing votes to both sides. I know that communities in coastal and country areas have long felt disconnected from the rest of the country. We must listen and we must reflect the views and experiences of our broad movement, that’s when our values shine through and we make better decisions.

We cannot and we must not attempt to ‘out-Reform’ the Reform Party. Doing so only benefits those sowing division and alienates sections of our supporters. As the Prime Minister set out at Conference, we are now in the fight of our lives. We must seize back the political megaphone from Farage and repeatedly shout from the rooftops about all the good we are doing. It is our agenda as the Party of Government that we should and must champion, setting out clearly and decisively how we will improve the lives of the people that we serve. Reform have no relevance in that agenda and we should pursue our progressive, equitable policies relentlessly, confining populist rhetoric to the narrow, self interested rhetoric it actually is.

We in the Labour Party have a different diagnosis to what has gone wrong in our country to rival political parties. And we have a different prognosis. We are fighting for greater equality, to give working people greater economic security and to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. These are the sentiments that underpinned our manifesto at the last General Election and our offer of change and hope to the public. These principles are proven and popular.

Our electoral coalition will be built through the delivery of the change we promised. In communities left behind – of which there are many in coastal and country areas – we must show that a Labour Government can improve people’s lives and be a force for good is essential.

How then would you describe your ‘offer’ to communities of the coast and country?

My offer to members in our coastal and country areas is much the same as it is to members elsewhere. I will be your Deputy Leader, your voice to those in Government.

I would be a strong, independent voice for progressive change, linking the heart of our Party – our members, unions, elected representatives, socialist societies and the communities we all live in – with the head of our Party in government. This moment is too important for our movement, and our country, for anything less.

As Leader of the House of Commons, I was the shop steward for the backbenches, and now I want to do the same for our movement. I will be able to do this, because I won’t be in the Cabinet. Instead, I will be in every constituency, every council and every fringe meeting, free from Government constraints.

If we want to challenge the disconnection that people in coastal and rural communities feel, we must ensure that their voices are heard. As Deputy Leader, I would be focused on ensuring that the voices from places like yours are heard at the highest level.
I will be the voice outside Government to ensure that we deliver on the bold, ambitious agenda we set out at the last General Election. I will not snipe from the sidelines, I will not cause dissent, but I will be the strong advocate that our movement and our members – in all parts of the country – deserve.

Our coastal areas and rural heartlands have huge potential, with the visitor economy, nature recovery and nature friendly farming, and the opportunity of more clean energy at the coast, with huge growth opportunities that are vital for highly skilled hubs from nuclear to renewables. We must tell a better story about how we are seizing these opportunities.

What changes would you make to Labour Party organisation to help deliver your ‘offer’ to communities of coast and country?

Central to regaining the trust of those in our coastal and country communities is listening to local people and demonstrating that we are listening. I will be the bridge between our movement and Government. I will be in every constituency, every council, listening to your concerns and pushing the government act on them.

It is also vital that we strengthen our grassroots campaigning capacity, build our networks back up and make sure our members, who often have vital on-the-ground experience, are able to contribute to policymaking and decisions. This is particularly important in rural communities, where having an intimate knowledge of the small villages and hamlets can make all the difference when campaigning.

We will need to adapt our Party organisation to reflect local government reorganisation and especially the needs of town and parish councils which will become more important as a result of the reorganisation.

We must ensure that the voice of those living in coastal and country communities is not ignored at the heart of Government. As a full-time Deputy Leader, I am able to be that bridge between our membership in communities like yours and the very heart of Government.