The Strategist: Mark Leftly on the reality of political networks

Mark Leftly | 13th April 2026 | Comment

Labour won a landslide victory in 2024 (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Whilst it may seem easy to cast generalisations over Labour MPs, the reality is that most networks date back decades, writes Mark Leftly

A solid local election launch will always include some big political names, particularly if they are from the same region or neighbouring areas.

It might, therefore, seem unsurprising that Labour deputy leader and Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell stood beside local parliamentarian James Frith at the formal start of the party’s council campaign efforts in Bury this April. Indeed, the political colossus of Greater Manchester, Mayor Andy Burnham, was also at the event, telling activists: “We need to back Labour in Bury, because Bury helped us build the success story that is Greater Manchester.”

Yet Powell was central to the wider party’s overall local election strategy, having spoken alongside Sir Keir Starmer at the main campaign launch in Wolverhampton only a few days earlier. She was immediately sent to Waltham Forest in London, helping local councillors stave off the growing threat of the Greens in the capital.

Powell’s time was precious. Appearing in Bury, even at a time when support for Reform is mounting, hints at something deeper about Labour and its informal structures – the hidden networks that are vital to understanding such a tribal party.

Frith and Powell go back a long way. They sat on the Education Select Committee during the 2017-19 Parliament, before Frith lost and regained his Bury North seat. As young parents, they also worked together on the All-Party …

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