Labour has defended its renewed focus on British values and the union jack after a leaked strategy document was criticised by some within the party, saying Keir Starmer sees patriotism as wanting to improve the country. The leaked strategy document, seen by the Guardian, advised Labour to make “use of the [union] flag, veterans [and] dressing smartly” as part of a rebranding to help it win back the trust of disillusioned voters. It also reveals that voters could not describe what or who Labour stands for. The presentation suggests that displays of patriotism are needed to reinforce that the party has changed. One slide says: “Belonging needs to be reinforced through all messengers,” while another is headed “communicating Labour’s respect and commitment for the country can represent a change in the party’s body language”. The document has been criticised by a number of leftwing MPs, including former shadow cabinet ministers Clive Lewis and Richard Burgeon, who said it risked alienating young and BAME voters and lacked ambition and authenticity. However, some of the party’s former MPs defended the strategy, saying it showed the party wanted to rebuild trust. Gareth Snell, the former MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, said critics should realise how critical some of the issues were for some voters and that patriotism should not be conflated with xenophobia.
“I don’t think some of the criticism that came out last night that suggested that this is just a move towards nationalism is fair at all because there is a clear and distinct difference between patriotism and nationalism,” he said. “Clement Attlee and Denis Healey both wore uniforms and took pride in their country and no one would consider them nationalists. “But if we’re going to align ourselves with a more patriotic platform, it has to be more than skin-deep, it has to be properly understanding why is it that places like Stoke have a particular support base for the armed forces and traditional values. Why is it we care about certain things that are very different but not less relevant than the things that are cared about much more metropolitan areas? Our challenge is appealing to both of those groups, we cannot win without both.” Phil Wilson, the former MP for Sedgefield, tweeted that a Labour leader’s patriotism should be “a given, not a strategy.” A Labour spokesperson said Starmer was proud to be patriotic. “Keir wants to be prime minister of this country, because he wants to believe that a better future is possible for this country, where we can spread opportunities for everybody, we can rebuild our public services, we can create best businesses in the world, which are the envy of the world,” the spokesperson said. “You can call it whatever you want patriotism or whatever, but that’s what he stands for. The union flag represents a country that Labour wants to govern. And the country that Keir Starmer wants to be prime minister of, it is a symbol of the country we want to lead. “That is the patriotism that drives our movement. It is fighting for a better country.” Asked if Starmer agreed with views from voters in the document, prepared by the agency, his spokesperson said: “We’ve always said it is a long road to rebuild the party so we can win in 2024. We’re on that road.” Starmer’s spokesperson said the Labour leader disagreed with comments from Lewis, the former shadow defence secretary, that the party was pandering to the “nativist right”. “We don’t agree with that,” his spokesperson said. Richard Burgon, the former shadow justice secretary who is now a leading figure of the leftwing Socialist Campaign Group of MPs, said the strategy made for “sorry reading” and said the leadership should be bolder. “It’s the biggest public health crisis for a century the biggest economic crisis in 300 years,” he said. “Reading that thing you think, is this the best of the party can do in those circumstance? I thought it looked a bit desperate and suggests a worrying paucity of ideas.” He said he was concerned that the strategy was taking votes for granted from young people and BAME communities. “This is symptomatic of a strategy which goes chasing votes from groups who already have their own party – the Conservative party,” he said. “You end up with the worst of both worlds losing the support you have already got and not gaining new supporters in sufficient numbers.”