Iain Dale hears former Labour MP challenge candidates to take "marginal seat test"

24 February 2020, 20:42

The former Bury MP devised a test to help Labour leaders in "soundproof seats" to understand the needs of real Labour voters in swing seats.

Speaking from direct experience, James Frith was describing how Labour candidates feel a disconnect with their constituents and what the party leaders put out as policy.

He used the phrase "soundproof seats" when referring to the leadership candidates and how they are guaranteed reelection every cycle and thus don't focus massively on policy that will make or break a marginal seat, such as Mr. Frith's which was lost to the Conservatives in the 2019 general elections.

The former councillor noticed while canvassing "pretty quickly you get an impression if the leadership and what we are saying as a party is having an effect".

Mr. Frith's outrage at the leadership of Labour was evident, stating that policy "wasn't just ineffective, it was undermining". He decided there and then he was going to implement a ground roots movement to push the case for underrepresented constituencies to bring their voice directly to party leadership through his test.

James frith confessed to Iain that "duty is on us to bring some home truths to leadership" and he is starting to push the buck towards the candidates to give the Labour party a real push in the next election in constituencies that have been lost because of ignorance.