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Kate Plummer
Jan 05, 2023
Keir Starmer promises ‘take back control’ bill as Labour embraces Brexit slogan
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Keir Starmer has unveiled his latest slogan and it has split opinion.
The Labour Leader delivered his first speech of 2023 where he outlined what Labour would do if the party wins the next general election.
Among other policies including a "decade of national renewal" and an assault against "sticking plaster politics", he promised a “take back control” bill aimed at devolving power out of Westminster and that he would “embrace” the message used by Boris Johnson and the Leave campaign during the Brexit referendum in 2016.
“The control people want is control of their lives and their communities,” Starmer said. “So we will embrace the take back control message – but we will turn it from a slogan into a solution, from a catchphrase into change.”
Starmer promised that the flagship bill would “spread control” out of Westminster – devolving new powers over employment support, transport, energy, housing, childcare provision and spending to local and regional authorities.
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He also said the bill would give communities a new right to request powers which go beyond Labour’s devolution plans – saying it would “give communities the chance to control their economic destiny”.
“I couldn’t disagree with the basic case so many Leave voters made to me,” he said. “That [take back control] phrase was really powerful – it was like Heineken, it got into people. The more they asked themselves, ‘Do I have control?’, the more they answered ‘No’.”
Some people thought his messaging was clever:
\u201cStarmer's speech was a study in contrasts to Sunak yesterday -- more controlled anger and steady purpose than headmaster's sermon. Appropriating "take back control" for Labour's devolution drive is very clever, though easier said than done https://t.co/sOLdZLtAl7 via @opinion\u201d— Therese Raphael (@Therese Raphael) 1672920762
\u201cWhatever your politics this is a clever piece of comms. The Tories have accused Starmer of using clich\u00e9s as recently as this morning - they can\u2019t now as he\u2019s using one of their pet phrases. No idea whether it will work but it\u2019s clever. https://t.co/WnWlPbrltB\u201d— Guy Clapperton @guyclapperton@mastodon.me.uk (@Guy Clapperton @guyclapperton@mastodon.me.uk) 1672919633
\u201cWe cannot rebuild Britain from the centre. It will take a nation - using the skills and ambition in every community. That\u2019s why Labour\u2019s Take Back Control Bill \ud83d\udc47 will give power to people who have skin in the game.\n\nThere\u2019s only one way to build a country that works: together \ud83c\udf39\u201d— Lisa Nandy (@Lisa Nandy) 1672916755
\u201cThe 'Take Back Control Bill' gives Labour space to talk about the failure of Brexit & what it's done to the economy\n\nStarmer can't ignore the growing support for Remain & he can't sleepwalk into a narrative he's forgotten Leave voters either\u201d— Rachel Wearmouth (@Rachel Wearmouth) 1672918532
\u201cAs much as I detest the very existence of it, to flip the Take Back Control phrase on its head is incredibly astute politicking from Kier Starmer.\u201d— Kirsty E \ud83d\udc99\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa (@Kirsty E \ud83d\udc99\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa) 1672920460
While others weren't fans:
\u201cTake Back Control\u2026massive ick\u201d— kiramadeira \ud83e\udd14 (@kiramadeira \ud83e\udd14) 1672916816
\u201cSorry. But a \u201cTake Back Control Bill\u201d? Abstract rubbish. I can\u2019t believe that was his big speech.\u201d— (((Dan Hodges))) (@(((Dan Hodges)))) 1672914737
\u201cThankfully there's no negative connotations from the slogan 'Take Back Control'\u201d— Jay Motty (@Jay Motty) 1672918958
\u201cRe-birthing "Take Back Control" seems a questionable wheeze. Not least because it returns us to Cummings' dubious agenda\u201d— Matthew Gwyther (@Matthew Gwyther) 1672920153
\u201cI'm sure they've tested this with focus groups etc, but for me "take back control" is heavily associated with the power to block progressive change\u201d— Samir Jeraj \ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddea \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea (@Samir Jeraj \ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddea \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea) 1672919643
Whether Labour get to enact the policy, though, is a matter for the next general election to decide.
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