There are votes in regulation - but are politicians listening?

Four in five voters want strong protections according to our new poll with More in Common

‘Gamblegate’ has once again shown that in the UK, rules matter. This is not exactly breaking news in a country that ousted one Prime Minister for breaking lockdown rules, followed quickly by his successor after she stretched the limits of the economic playbook. Once again however, the Conservatives are finding this out the hard way.

Our new polling with More in Common confirms as much. Four out of five respondents (79%) in our survey of just over 2,000 adults said they thought regulation is important to create a stable economy and a secure society. Just one in five said it tends to hold back the economy and restrict people's lives.

After so many years of scandal and crisis, it’s perhaps unsurprising that there are votes to be won in regulation. Whether it’s sewage in our rivers, record levels of hospital admittances caused by unsafe food, procurement fraud during the Covid pandemic or profiteering during the inflation crisis, the evidence of poorly enforced rules is everywhere. Increasingly, a state willing to intervene and act in the public interest is ‘a reassuring presence for voters, not a sinister intrusion’.

Any party intent on forming the next government would do well to recognise this. As the country heads to the polls, there is a major question however as to whether politicians are listening and whether they are doing enough to cash in on this electoral dividend with a coherent narrative on regulation. 

Our analysis of the manifestos suggests that the picture is complex. Although regulation forms a part of most visions for the country, the narrative is in many places confused, with promises to boost protections sitting uncomfortably alongside plans to deregulate.  

What the manifestos say

Current polling suggests that Labour is on track to secure a convincing majority, which could have significant implications for the UK's regulatory landscape. Their manifesto is built on the twin pillars of security and fairness with a guiding principle throughout their policy proposals that ‘markets must be shaped, not merely served.’ 

Labour's commitment to creating a ‘Single Enforcement Body’ to uphold workers' rights and their plan to ‘overhaul the regulation of the private rented sector’ signal a strong pro-protection stance. But this sits uneasily alongside promises to ‘slash red tape’, ‘expedite’ major projects, and create the ‘conditions for innovation and growth’ in the financial services sector. Although never named, the idea that deregulation will be a means of achieving these aims is implicit. Their manifesto walks a tightrope. On the one hand they promise robust regulations whilst on the other they signal a light-touch approach to the City of London. They attempt to balance the need for more homes with the promise to uphold key protections for habitats and communities. 

This tension isn’t exactly new. As we pointed out earlier in their campaign, Labour’s approach to regulation has often been contradictory. Navigating this tension will be crucial to delivering on their manifesto commitments. 

The inconsistencies are more glaring in the Conservative manifesto. They explicitly champion deregulation as the engine of economic growth and take credit for cutting EU-derived rules - both of which they claim have boosted entrepreneurialism and innovation. 

But at the same time, the Conservatives propose a series of targeted regulatory interventions. They want strict restrictions on junk food advertising to tackle obesity, and rules to end profiteering at petrol pumps. The manifesto extends one arm of the state to improve public health and protect consumers, and yet withdraws the other in service of ‘dynamic markets’. 

The Liberal Democrats arguably respond most readily to the public’s appetite for more robust protections. The Party’s manifesto is littered with pledges to ‘ban’, ‘require’, ‘enforce’, and ‘strengthen’ various regulatory measures. From promising the ‘highest possible standards of environmental, health, labour and consumer protection’ to proposing a ‘general duty of care for the environment and human rights in business operations and supply chains,’ the Lib Dems stake out a clear position in favour of strong, enforceable rules across many aspects of society. 

Their detailed proposals on environmental protection, a key feature of their election campaign, are particularly striking. Their plan to ‘transform water companies into public benefit entities’, impose a ‘Sewage Tax’, and replace Ofwat with a ‘tough new regulator’ signals a willingness to completely reshape industries to better serve the public interest. And their call for a ‘Clean Air Act’ enforced by a new agency shows the Lib Dems are serious about the role regulation can play in improving public health.

A unified voice on regulation

After years of regulatory budget cuts and reduced protections, a new direction on regulation  is urgently needed. One of the main conclusions of our recent conference was that the system has gone from one under strain, to one that’s in crisis. This cuts across a whole host of issues - whether that’s regulating financial services, protecting workers or safeguarding water quality. 

Ensuring the incoming government addresses this crisis starts by amplifying a compelling narrative that is clear, consistent and joined up. We need to demonstrate that strong, enforceable rules are the unifying thread across the UK electorate and that they would help the government deliver on their key priorities over the next five years. 

To do this we need to start talking with a shared voice and a common language. Our new Talking Regulations Guide, produced alongside the New Economy Organisers Network, provides excellent practical advice on how to achieve this. Drawing on our own research, the guide outlines ways of telling a compelling story about regulation that can appeal to a wide audience. 

By talking with a unified voice we can help reset the political consensus and put public and environmental protections at the heart of the next Parliament. Come to our official launch of the guide on the 12th of September where we’ll be convening a range of civil society groups to discuss how we can use it to champion our agenda. More information on this coming soon.