Labour frontbencher of the year: Rachel Reeves
The numbers speak for themselves. At the end of 2021 Rachel Reeves trailed Rishi Sunak in Yougov’s tracker on who would make the best chancellor by almost 20 points, 11% to 30%. Now she is in a statistical tie with the current Tory chancellor, Jeremy Hunt who is on 19% versus 17% for Rachel Reeves.
Clearly the Conservatives have played the leading role in detonating their reputation for economic competence, but how many times have Labour shadow chancellor’s fluffed the opportunity when Tory incumbents have stumbled? Not Rachel Reeves.
Her tenure in 2022 has been synonymous with three changes in how Labour makes its economic case.
First, there is now internal self-control on spending. A shadow minister recently summarised the situation to Uncut, “I wouldn’t dare fly a kite about spending in a briefing or make a speech, that’s not how we work any more.” Not since the days of Gordon Brown as shadow chancellor in the mid-90s and the iron grip of his economic secretariat has a Labour opposition been so disciplined.
Second, Labour is developing self-contained policy initiatives – where revenue raising and spending are balanced – that target Tory fault lines. The windfall tax is just one example where Labour moved early, announced the policy with the government ultimately capitulating, but not before it had repeatedly aired its splits on the issue. This fusion of economics and politics is the essence of successful opposition. David Cameron and George Osborne did it very well (see the 2007 election that never was, following Osborne’s announcement on taking most people out of inheritance tax) and needless to say Tony Blair and Gordon Brown ran the Tories ragged with this approach.
Third, when Labour has had to respond to Tory economic announcements, reversals and general chaos, Rachel Reeves has been more than equal to the task. Her speeches have been authoritative with the right soundbite for the news clips. The rise in Labour confidence in the House of Commons over the year has been evident and the media reporting describes a party that has real momentum on the economy.
Rachel Reeves is Uncut’s frontbencher of the year for the herculean achievement of making Labour competitive again on the economy. More needs to done but after years – well over a decade – of utterly abysmal ratings and constantly trailing the Tories by double digits, the party has solid grounds for optimism heading into 2023.
International politician of the year: Joe Biden
With the catastrophic collapse of Xi’s “zero Covid” strategy and Ukraine’s defiant refusal to welcome Putin, 2022 was a year in which reality caught up with autocrats. Macron and Lula also beat Le Pen and Bolsanaro. But, alas, Italy now has its most right-wing government since World War II and Israel has its most extreme government ever.
The global battle for democracy and democratic values persists. With America being foundational.
Joe Biden was the big winner of this year’s midterms, Donald Trump the big loser. Trump-backed candidates were defeated (to a greater extent than other Republicans), Biden’s party strengthened its hold on the Senate. Trump deepened America’s culture wars, Biden waged economic war for the heartlands – securing massive investment in America’s industrial and green capacity through landmark legislation, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. Trump maintains the fiction that he won in 2020, Biden said democracy was on the ballot in 2022. America’s verdict in both years favoured Biden.
“I don’t need a ride, I need ammunition,” will echo down the ages from this year. Zelensky depends on Biden at least as much as Churchill depended on FDR. Trump would have left this call unanswered.
The world needs America to keep fulfilling this global role. If America is to do so, the project of American renewal that Biden has begun must triumph. If we want an FDR overseas, America needs an FDR at home.
Instead of moaning about the Inflation Reduction Act supposedly being protectionist, as the UK government has recently, pro-democracy governments should be replicating its pro-investment, pro-worker approach. Democracy needs a capitalism that works for all – as FDR knew and Biden has reminded us.
Lifetime service award: Nancy Pelosi
All political careers, they say, end in failure. Up to a point. In losing the House by a much narrower margin than predicted, Nancy Pelosi leaves a richer inheritance for her successors in Democratic leadership positions than anticipated.
Pelosi’s is one of the great American political lives. From meeting JFK as a teenager to being, as Molly Ball’s compelling biography puts it, “the only woman tough enough to take on a lawless president (Trump) and defend American democracy”. From swearing in her father as mayor of Baltimore as a 7 year old in 1940 to finding a legislative path for Obamacare when even Obama wasn’t sure one existed. “How did an Italian grandmother in four-inch heels become the greatest legislator since LBJ?”
By perfectly calibrating her liberal values and pragmatic politics. If Max Weber were around now, he’d offer Pelosi as a case study in politics as vocation. Future generations should learn well these timeless lessons.
Tags: gordon brown, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Rachel Reeves, The Uncuts 2022
