Craig Young critiques the UK Labour Party’s shift towards Blue Labour and its impact on progressive issues, particularly transgender rights.
Is the British Labour Party veering off course? Growing concerns suggest that the influence of the “Blue Labour” faction could alienate progressive voters and core constituencies, particularly over issues such as trans rights and broader social policy.
“Blue Labour” stems from the belief that the Labour Party lost the trust of its traditional industrial Northern-English working-class base, partly due to the divisive Brexit debate. More troubling, however, is the idealisation of the white working class, which raises questions about welfare retrenchment and the quiet support for tax cuts that could further erode public services.
This romanticised image often overlooks the realities of a multicultural Britain and fails to address the presence of racism in some segments of the working class. It also opens up uncomfortable contradictions when social conservatism is invoked as a proxy for working-class values.
Tony Blair’s “New Labour” was criticised for its distance from trade unions and embrace of identity politics. In contrast, Blue Labour adopts a more socially conservative stance, assuming this reflects the values of Northern working-class communities. But what does social conservatism actually entail in this context?
Take abortion, for instance. The UK is discussing potential decriminalisation. Thus far, Blue Labour hasn’t resisted this shift, perhaps because the issue is less divisive among Labour supporters, save for a few socially conservative Catholic members. While abortion debates often intersect with gender and class issues, anti-abortion sentiment is mostly entrenched within the Conservative Party.
Transgender rights, however, have become a flashpoint. Critics of Blue Labour argue it dismisses trans rights as mere identity politics. This narrow view ignores the practical material concerns of trans people—access to healthcare, housing, employment, and education.
In New Zealand, Labour broadened its appeal by embracing diverse constituencies, especially during the HIV crisis when LGBTQI+ communities rallied around healthcare and welfare reforms. Contrary to assumptions that social movements are indifferent to class-based issues, many continue to advocate for structural improvements in public services.
Some UK Labour MPs, including openly gay Health Secretary Wes Streeting, have echoed Blue Labour’s exclusionary stance. But others, including lesbian MPs, have defended trans rights, showing division within the party. The recent cancellation of the Labour Women’s Conference—due to clashes between trans-inclusive feminists and gender-critical groups—underscores the tensions.
Entryism, where pressure groups infiltrate a party to advance their agenda, has become a concern. Once associated with far-left factions, it’s now arguably being employed by anti-transgender activists within UK Labour.
In New Zealand, this trend hasn’t taken hold. Medical bodies and feminist groups largely support trans rights, and gender-critical feminists remain marginal. Their silence on broader feminist issues—such as pay equity—further isolates them, especially given revelations about the tolerance of violence in conservative Christian circles like Destiny Church.
The New Zealand Labour Party continues to champion diversity, secularism, and social inclusion. Its consistent support for LGBTQIA+ rights, inclusive education, and gender pay equity stands in contrast to UK Labour’s apparent identity crisis. As UK Labour struggles to distinguish itself from the Conservatives on key social issues, New Zealand offers a clear lesson: abandoning progressive principles for electoral gain is a high-risk gamble.
