What’s the point of a Labour Party indistinguishable from the Tories?

Defecting MP Christian Wakeford was welcomed into the Labour Party with open arms by Sir Keir Starmer at last week’s PMQs. The current leader of the opposition treated the crossing of the chamber by Bury South MP Wakeford like a spectacular victory for his party. But was it really?

As many have already pointed out, Wakeford’s voting record is very much at odds with what are broadly considered Labour values. He has consistently voted against measures to combat tax avoidance and climate change. He voted for the controversial Nationality and Borders Bill, which Amnesty International says will undermine international obligations under the Refugee Convention and under international law, including duties to protect life at sea and to provide stateless children with citizenship.

He voted for allowing water companies to dump raw sewage into Britain’s rivers. He also voted to cut the universal credit uplift of £20-per-week, and for the welfare cap which will limit the amount the government can spend on certain social security benefits and tax credits, at a time when the UK is facing a soaring cost-of-living crisis, set to devastate the most vulnerable people in Britain.

Labour can be a broad church, but certain values must be upheld for the party to have any meaningful identity at all. It could be argued that the welcoming of Wakeford is an accurate illustration of the Labour Party under Starmer’s leadership – a Tory-lite B-team, where the writing was on the wall after Starmer shrugged off his initial promises of maintaining the Corbyn agenda of common ownership, public investment and equality.

Thousands of members have left the party in disgust over this perceived betrayal, with comments by Rachel Reeves about declining Labour membership being “a good thing” last week further rubbing salt into the wound.

For those who wish to see the ravages of over a decade of Conservative governments healed and the most marginalised people in this country protected from further harm, another Labour MP might seem like a gift. But if that MP has indicated, through their voting record, that they do not share in basic values such as combating the scourge of poverty or care for the environment, then this “win” for Labour rings very hollow.

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There are also relevant questions over whether Wakeford’s defection should trigger a by-election, so that Bury South can choose the candidate who best represents them after these recent developments.

As always, we will strive to bring you all of the best, most thoughtful and up-to-date analysis of unfolding political events.

Yours,

Harriet Williamson

Voices commissioning editor