This is article is a report of OLC's 'Future of the Labour Party Panel Discussion' which was held on 15/10/2026, written by Andrew Duffin.
In the wake of Burnham’s accession to the premiership, there has been a reinvigoration of hope within the government. Yet behind this optimism lie difficult questions: about Labour’s relationship with voters, Britain’s political system and Labour’s electoral strategy. To explore these challenges, Oxford Labour Club (OLC) held a panel discussion on the topic. OLC was privileged to welcome Anneliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East since 2017, and Hollie Ridley, former General Secretary of the Labour Party (2024–2026), to discuss these pressing issues.
The guests provided a well-rounded view of the party. Dodds drew on her parliamentary experience, having been inspired to go into politics through her introduction to OLC when she was at Oxford not too long ago. Ridley gave insights from inside the party’s organisational machinery. Her background in Dagenham gave her on-the-ground experience in the battle against the BNP in the 2000s. Yet despite these differences in background, the panellists’ political paths have frequently crossed in the interconnected world of politics. Together they reminisced about them first meeting each other, during the campaign for the Bristol mayoral election in 2012.
The discussion, which was chaired by OLC co-chairs Catherine and Tom, began with questions focusing on how Labour could avoid complacency in order to win the next general election. Ridley emphasised the need for Labour to keep challenging itself and remain connected to voters. This point was echoed by Dodds’ belief that genuine face-to-face connections with people are the best way to build trust in our fragmented media age.
A particularly compelling part of the talk centred on how Labour would have to adept its strategy if Burnham’s proposed electoral reform goes ahead. Both panellists emphasised the need to be prudent about any change when choosing the system that would replace first-past-the-post. Ridley highlighted the challenges faced by Labour under the different electoral systems already operating in the devolved nations. While electoral reform was once the preserve of parties languishing in opposition, times have changed. With the Prime Minister expressing his support for reform, even at the probable expense of Labour’s landslide majority. Dodds offered her perspective from her time as MEP, when she represented the South East England super-constituency. Dodds cautioned that some of the purer PR systems risk diffusing accountability and weakening the relationship between elected representatives and their constituents. Finally, she noted that some less diligent MEPs could evade meaningful scrutiny from the electorate.
The greatest point of contrast between the two panellists emerged over the question of ‘hope versus realism’. Ridley emphasised the need for the parliamentary party to manage its expectations about what is achievable within a parliamentary term. Dodds, however, highlighted the importance of controlling the narrative about the state of the public finances, drawing on her ministerial experience to show the mess in which the Conservatives had left things. She pointed out how the Conservatives effectively managed to pin the blame for the global financial crisis on Gordon Brown in the 2010 election, tarnishing his successful record. Above all, Dodds argued that hope should remain central to Labour’s identity.
The discussion was brought to a close with the question: “What has been your biggest regret?” Ridley stated that she had none and had greatly benefited from throwing herself into the political world. Dodds was rather more mysterious, declaring that we would have to wait for her memoir to find out.
I would like to thank the co-chairs and the rest of the OLC committee for organising another successful event. Most of all, a massive thank you to Anneliese Dodds and Hollie Ridley for taking time out of their busy schedules to discuss the future of the Labour Party.
Image source: from Lucy Darnell and used with permission.
Please note: the views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the wider Labour club.