What works to influence a Labour government? 5 tips for UK charities and philanthropy
On Friday 2nd May 1997, I pedalled my way over an almost completely empty Waterloo Bridge peeking at the spring sunshine through bleary eyes. This was the last time Labour swept into government, and I was on my way to lecture students at the London School of Economics.
Of course, no student turned up that day – late nights and hangovers had knocked them all out of circulation. At lunchtime, a few of us gathered in a dusty office overlooking Houghton Street. A bottle of white wine and crisps had been found at the back of a cupboard and, with paper cups in hand, one colleague turned to me and in a stage whisper said “Now we can get on with what we are really good at. Criticising a Labour government.”
The depth of my colleague’s cynicism was stunning to me - the new Labour Cabinet had not even met and here she was predicting the worst. But it reflected a reality that, once the immediate honeymoon period is over, those seeking progressive reform can quickly jump into oppositional mode, ready with the verdict “not radical enough” within months (or even hours) of them taking power.
So how do you avoid this slip into cynicism? What does it take to be both pragmatic and aspirational? How do you build a positive and grown up relationship with a government that may share your values, but also be constrained by economic and global realities like any other?
For many working in the social change sector this will be a first experience of working with a Labour government. Your organisation may have become adept at calling out policy deficiencies and holding the government to account. Or you may have turned your eyes away from UK-wide policy work, focussing instead on what can be done within existing constraints or at national or devolved level to make change happen. But now the ask of you is different and to help you steer through these changes, here are some thoughts drawn on experience of working both inside Whitehall and outside as a campaigner through the Blair and Brown years.
Be ruthlessly focussed on what is possible
The reality for Labour is that, compared to 1997, fiscal constraints are much tighter and the government is working in a context more exposed than ever to global forces. This will significantly limit their ability to manoeuvre. Put simply, this new Labour government has less power and money.
Add to this the fact that, in common with every government, the pull of the status quo will be strong. The case for doing nothing wins if the case for change is not strong enough. Each individual politician and every government feels they have only so much political capital to spend, and they will be very careful about where they spend it.
To cut through all of that, you need to be clear eyed about why they should spend time and political capital on your issue versus others who are putting up an equally impassioned case. Having a good case for change is never enough. it is about having a clear set of solutions.
Ask yourself, what changes could happen that cost little or nothing but require departments or institutions to work differently or spend a fixed budget in a new way? If your cause is a controversial or unpopular one, what are the sideways approaches that could make a difference to the people you serve? This might involve, for example, working across different departments to unpick barriers to access or concrete delivery changes.
The art of the possible will predominate in the early months and years - engaging with this will be critical to your impact and building longer term relationships.
Recognise the value of insider and outsider strategies
Influence comes in all shapes and sizes, and both “insider” and “outsider” strategies will be valuable with this incoming government.
Given recent history, social change organisations and campaigns are less accustomed to using their “inside voice”. Now will be the time to work with the government as trusted partners and advisers. Effective insiders understand that government is not a monolith. Like any other organisation, it is a collection of individuals with quite different visions and varied appetites for change. That’s why insider strategies engage with compromise, often brokering across the divisions that exist between ministers or in the philosophy of different departments. This approach was brilliantly described to me once as “being the second most radical person in the room” – keeping your radical edge but being prepared to engage in good enough solutions.
But this approach also has its dangers. There is a fine line between being skilled at understanding and negotiating internal political divides and becoming mesmerised by the soap opera element of Westminster politics. Good insiders keep their egos firmly in check, are aware of flattery and co-option, and remain grounded in the realities of the people and causes they serve – rather than those of the politicians they are trying to influence.
Many effective insiders balance this with compelling outsider campaigns or public facing strategies. They recognise that public opinion helps shift the Overton window giving government more room to act. Managing the different demands of these two roles can be a stretch and switching between them can be challenging – but grown-up politicians will understand this and appreciate you applying simple principles such as for example a “no surprises” mantra of pre-warning officials or ministers of what is coming. Another strategy is to partner with others in your sector so you can each adopt different roles, openly sharing your intelligence and tactics behind the scenes so that as one raises public heat and pressure on an issue the other carefully pushes for policy change.
Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate
The government cannot solve the big issues it is facing alone – and nor can you. Building strategic collaborations across civil society, with government, with business, regulators and social movements will be more important than ever.
Collaboration can take many forms – from working with others to build a joint evidence base, to collaborative response to joint commissioning bids to joint campaigning or policy work.
On a very practical level, it also helps a government that is moving at speed get the input it needs rapidly. Too often, faced with a multiplicity organisations and competing voices, the response from government is to not engage at all. Coordinated campaigns and unified voices are simply more likely to be heard in a fast changing environment.
The UK government is only one part of the picture
Even with a substantial majority, the Westminster government will only ever be one part of the picture. The importance of working across the four nations will not be diminished by this outcome. There will still be a need to work across devolved authorities given that devolution deals and the power of the metro mayors will continue to build. The change in government doesn’t alter the reality that people’s life chances are deeply affected by local services – as anyone who works on mental health services or social care knows only too well. Keeping a close eye on the reality of service provision, opportunities with local authorities and Integrated Care Boards will therefore be an essential part of your on-going influence.
Thinking about this bigger picture also leads to engagement beyond Ministers – positive relationships with civil servants, regulators and watchdogs as well as backbenchers (across all parties), select committees and the House of Lords. While it might be tempting to invest less with these other groups with a large Labour majority all of them are critical parts of building coalitions for the longer term change you are after.
Don’t overestimate the power of politics in the short term (or underestimate that power in the longer term)
Which brings me to the final and possibly most important point. Politics creates less change than you would expect in the short term, but creates more change than you might expect in the longer term. You will want to consider the ability for the new government to create space not only for short term policy changes but for longer term changes in public attitudes, practices, culture and institutions.
This means that, as a leader of a social change organisation, you will need to play the long game on a number of your issues (however frustrating that might feel) as well as being pragmatic about the baby steps that can be taken now.
If you’d like more guidance on finding the right approach for your organisation, get in touch with our team.
Written by Katherine Rake, Director/Consultant at Lucent Consultancy