The election is over – our fight for change starts now

Today is a huge day in British politics. At the end of a momentous election, a new Government is in place. And now, for the 38 Degrees community, the real work begins. As a new Prime Minister enters Downing Street, I wanted to take a moment to explain what we’ll do next – and why our community is more important than ever. 

The election result announced this morning was one of the most dramatic in British political history. But today is not progress – it’s just a chance to get it. More than anything, it is a message from across the UK that people want change. They want help with the cost of living a little and to see the NHS saved. They want their local environment cleaned up and protected, and to see a return to a politics they can trust. 

This is clear across the board: not only in the ultimate result for Labour, but the advances made by other parties including the Lib Dems and Greens.

Labour have won big on a message of change. Now they have to deliver change. It is 38 Degrees’ job, along with others, to make sure they do. 

If Labour fall short, if they are too cautious, or they don’t act fast to help people, we will launch huge people-powered campaigns demanding they do more, and do better. We will be a voice for ambition  – not one of mindless opposition, but a voice for hope and for action.

We will know if they have delivered, when we see the changes we have been crying out for, playing out in our own, and our loved ones’, lives. When we are no longer anxiously facing months or years on NHS waiting lists, when we have enough money left over at the end of the month to live a little. 

If they deliver, we will celebrate together – but we will also act to defend progress against the special interests who will fight tooth and nail to protect their profits. 

And we will rally a broad movement in opposition to the newly empowered radical right voices – some of whom now have a more prominent position than ever – who use division and words of hate to turn people against one another. 

Our community isn’t only interested in politics – we care about our country as a whole. So there will also be more campaigns that hold the powerful to account, whether they run big institutions like the Post Office or big corporations like Amazon. 

We have shown what we can do together. During this campaign, with hot air balloons, innovative online video, ice cream trucks, polling, research, and acres of media coverage, we have shown that creativity and imagination can get a hearing – when it is powered by real people. 

38 Degrees is a special community. We aren’t united by support for a political party. In fact, I know that this is a community of people who voted for every party on the ballot paper. We aren’t partisan about parties, we’re partisan about the country we want to see: one where we’re treated with fairness, where we treat each other with respect, and where we have a world that is sustainable for all of us, and our children.

Whatever comes next, I know we’ll be able to raise our voices if we’re all in it together as the 38 Degrees community. That means all of us chipping in with small actions to do big things. 

The election results mean we have a real chance for change. But change didn’t happen with this election alone – it will happen in the coming days, weeks and years. Our fight for that change starts today.