LabourList

The site features breaking news, analysis, opinion, policy and ideas from a broad cross-section of the Labour movement from activists to cabinet ministers, in addition to regular editorials and posts by the sitting editor and a core group of columnists. Ministers from the last Labour government who have blogged on the site include Peter Mandelson, Ed Balls, David Miliband, Ed Miliband and Douglas Alexander. Labour movement figures such as Alastair Campbell, Sunder Katwala formerly of the Fabian Society, Jessica Asato of Progress and Neal Lawson of Compass number among LabourList's other frequent contributors. Its first editor, Derek Draper, claimed that the site had done "exceptionally well" to "ask for advice and contributions from readers" leading the "introduction of excellent new grassroots bloggers, like Dan McCurry", who "have much to contribute to the direction and strategy of our movement".{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/feb/11/labour-media|title=Listing to the left|work=Guardian newspapers|author=Derek Draper|date=11 February 2009|access-date=9 March 2013}}

The site has also developed journalists Laurie Penny and Rowenna Davis, and former editor Alex Smith.

Draper commissioned Tangent, who had built the Labour Party's website, to build the LabourList website software in late 2008,{{cite web |url=http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/3379-q-a-greg-jackson-on-promoting-labour-online |title=Q&A: Greg Jackson on promoting Labour online |author=Graham Charlton |publisher=E-consultancy.com |date=3 March 2009 |access-date=29 July 2013}} prior to the website's launch on 10 January 2009.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/jan/10/labour-list-blog-launch |title=Labour's new blog courts best of the left on the web |last=Hinsliff |first=Gaby |newspaper=The Guardian |date=10 January 2009 |access-date=21 April 2018}} The official launch at Labour HQ was attended by Peter Mandelson, Douglas Alexander, Tom Watson and the Labour general-secretary Ray Collins.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/how-labours-assault-on-the-blogosphere-backfired-1668012.html |title=How Labour's assault on the blogosphere backfired |author1=Andrew Grice |author2=Nigel Morris |website=The Independent |date=13 April 2009 |access-date=14 September 2019}} In April The Daily Telegraph reported that Draper had been discussing plans to set up another blog to post false rumours about the private lives of senior Conservative Party members.

In its first few months, much external commentary about LabourList was couched in the context of the site's problematic and controversial start, leading to the resignation of Draper, who had founded it as well as being the first editor. Writing on the publication of the Total Politics Top 100 Political Blogs, Conservative Party blogger Iain Dale wrote: "Perhaps the biggest achievement goes to LabourList and Alastair Campbell, who both enter the top twenty after only seven months of blogging activity. For LabourList to appear anywhere at all following its disastrous start under the leadership of Derek Draper is a minor miracle in itself. But its new editor Alex Smith has established it as a serious left of centre forum in a very short time".{{cite web|url=http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2009/09/total-politics-top-100-uk-political.html|title=The Total Politics Top 100 UK Political Blogs|publisher=LabourList|date=15 September 2009}}

In June 2009, LabourList became the British affiliate to American liberal news website The Huffington Post.{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Alex|title=2009: A year on LabourList|url=http://labourlist.org/2009/12/2009-a-year-on-labourlist/|publisher=Labourlist|date=2009-12-23}}

LabourList's coverage of an abortive coup against Gordon Brown in early 2010 drew more praise as the site cemented its reputation as a news source and a reliable barometer for the Labour Party grassroots. The academic Charlie Beckett wrote that LabourList has "recovered both credibility and relevance ... I suspect it will be at least as important as ConservativeHome in understanding Party mood and machinations in the future".{{cite web|url=http://www.charliebeckett.org/?p=2378|title=Free Essay Writing Help From Charlie Beckett}}

In 2010, LabourList hosted its first offline events including campaign events to coincide with the TV Leaders' Debates that were taking place during the 2010 General Election.{{cn|date=February 2020}}

File:Peter Edwards, 2016 Labour Party Conference.jpg]]

Editorial developments to the site under Mark Ferguson's editorship include monthly polls of its readership on the "State of the Party" and "Ed's Inbox", a daily aggregation of blogposts from across the blogosphere.{{cn|date=February 2020}}

In 2018, a not-for-profit co-operative called Political Pixel started supporting the operation of LabourList, alongside the left-wing blogs Left Foot Forward and Political Scrapbook.{{cite news |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/left-foot-forward-enters-the-fray-as-latest-news-website-to-join-lobby-of-political-journalists-based-in-parliament/ |title=Left Foot Forward 'enters the fray' as latest news website to join lobby of political journalists based in Parliament |last=Mayhew |first=Freddy |newspaper=Press Gazette |date=13 March 2018 |access-date=28 August 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.uk.coop/directory/location/political-pixel-ltd-r008573 |title=Political Pixel |publisher=Co-operatives UK |access-date=28 August 2019}}

On 4 February 2019, a redesigned website was introduced, stylistically simpler with the intention that it would work better on mobile phones. At the same time, the capability for readers to write comments was removed because "too often the exchanges below-the-line became unpleasant and unconstructive". The site planned instead to engage with readers through surveys, noting that a previous survey showed that responders were "largely pro-Corbyn, pro-EU".{{cite web |url=https://labourlist.org/2019/02/the-launch-of-labourlists-new-look/ |title=The launch of LabourList's new look |last=Rodgers |first=Sienna |publisher=LabourList |date=4 February 2019 |access-date=6 February 2019}}

In 2010 the website claimed to have over 305,000 readers visiting 2.5 million pages; 260 contributors writing well over 2,000 posts; 70,000+ reader comments; 3,500 subscribers to the LunchtimeList daily email; 17,300 Twitter followers; and 4,700 Facebook supporters.{{cite web|url=http://www.labourlist.org/labourlist-is-one|title=LabourList is One!|publisher=LabourList|date=2010-01-10|access-date=2010-01-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114031541/http://www.labourlist.org/labourlist-is-one|archive-date=2010-01-14|url-status=dead}} The site revealed in March 2011 that it had attracted 70,000 unique readers, its highest ever readership for a single month.{{citation needed|date=June 2013}} According to rankings by Wikio in early 2010, which measure the "number and weight" of links coming in from other blogs, LabourList has become the second most influential left-wing political blog in Britain, the fourth most influential overall and the 18th most influential in Europe, and is growing in strength.{{cite web|url=http://www.wikio.co.uk/blogs/top/politics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321210550/http://www.wikio.co.uk/blogs/top/politics|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 March 2008|title=Top Blogs Politics!|publisher=Wikio|date=16 February 2010}}

By the end of 2009 in an article on left-wing blogging, the editor of ConservativeHome Tim Montgomerie acknowledged that "there is more evidence today that the Left is getting its online effort together", citing LabourList, amongst others, for the growing credibility and influence of British left-wing sites.{{cite web|url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/leftwatch/2009/12/the-british-left-is-developing-better-and-better-online-products.html|title=The British Left is developing better and better online products|publisher=ConservativeHome|date=2009-12-27}}

On 29 January 2010, Labour cabinet minister Ed Balls said in interview that "LabourList is flourishing and agenda setting, and that's very powerful. It's brought a huge change over the last year. Two years ago, we weren't on the field when it came to new media. Now, I think we're ahead of the Tories in new communications. Our people are younger, they're in the real world, they're young parents or they're students, so we ought to be ahead of them in new communications. LabourList and Left Foot Forward are really, really good. A year on from Labour people really grasping this stuff, the reality is now reflected in what's going on."{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Alex|title="Our strategy is quintessential, classic New Labour": The Ed Balls interview|url=http://labourlist.org/2010/01/our-strategy-is-quintessential-classic-new-labour-the-ed-balls-interview/|publisher=Labourlist|date=2010-01-29}}

File:sienna rodgers 2020 2.jpg

Following the forced resignation of founder-editor Draper after a few months at the helm, the editorship passed to staffer Alex Smith in May 2009. After the election, Smith took a sabbatical to work as Director of Communications and Campaigns for Ed Miliband's successful Labour leadership campaign, after which he continued to work for Miliband.{{cn|date=February 2020}}

In December 2010, Mark Ferguson, who was acting editor of LabourList from June, took over the role on a permanent basis. He remained editor until May 2015, when he became a senior adviser to Liz Kendall in her Labour leadership campaign.{{cite web |url=http://labourlist.org/2015/05/thank-you-and-goodbye/ |title=Thank you – and goodbye |author=Mark Ferguson |publisher=LabourList |date=18 May 2015 |access-date=21 January 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://www.totalpolitics.com/blog/449421/labourlist-editor-insists-liz-kendall-not-labours-blairite-candidate-as-he-joins-her-team.thtml |title=LabourList editor insists Liz Kendall not Labour's Blairite candidate as he joins her team |newspaper=Total Politics |date=19 May 2015 |access-date=21 January 2016}}

In 2013, LabourList appointed two new directors, and started a fundraising campaign led by Peter Mandelson and John Prescott. The new directors were Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, Managing Partner of the strategic advisory firm Global Counsel and former Director of Strategic Communications at 10 Downing Street, and Greg Jackson, co-founder of C360 (later acquired by Tangent) which provided the software that runs the Labour Party website.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jul/24/hugh-muir-diary-bbc-yentob-mandelson |title=Diary: Hard times. But are they all in it together at the BBC? |author=Hugh Muir |newspaper=The Guardian |date=24 July 2013 |access-date=30 July 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://labourlist.org/2013/07/theres-less-than-10-hours-left/ |title=There's less than 10 hours left |author=John Prescott |publisher=LabourList |date=26 July 2013 |access-date=30 July 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/ |title=Companies House WebCHeck – LABOURLIST LIMITED |id=Company No. 06996133 |publisher=Companies House |access-date=30 July 2013}}

In February 2016 Peter Edwards, a former PPC, journalist and press secretary for Chris Leslie when he was shadow Chancellor and shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury,{{cite web |url=http://www.maldonlabourparty.co.uk/meet_peter_edwards |title=Meet Peter Edwards |author=Peter Edwards |publisher=Maldon Labour Party |year=2013 |access-date=21 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128024202/http://www.maldonlabourparty.co.uk/meet_peter_edwards |archive-date=2016-01-28 |url-status=dead }} became the new editor. Tom Happold remained Executive Editor.{{cite web |url=http://labourlist.org/2016/01/announcing-our-new-labourlist-team/ |title=Announcing our new LabourList team |author=Tom Happold |publisher=LabourList |date=20 January 2016 |access-date=21 January 2016}}

On 7 February 2018, Sienna Rodgers was announced as the new editor.{{cite web |url=https://labourlist.org/2018/02/hello-from-labourlists-new-editor/ |title=Hello from LabourList's new editor |last=Rodgers |first=Sienna |publisher=LabourList |date=7 February 2018 |access-date=9 February 2018}}

In April 2020, David Kogan, author of two histories of the Labour Party in 1981 and 2019, became a director of LabourList.{{cite news |url=https://labourlist.org/2021/07/keir-starmers-labour-party-where-are-we-now/ |title=Keir Starmer's Labour Party: where are we now? |last=Kogan |first=David |website=LabourList |date=12 July 2021 |access-date=4 November 2021}}

On 8 April 2022, Sienna Rodgers left LabourList to become senior writer of The House magazine. Elliot Chappell was announced as the new editor.{{Cite web |last=Rodgers |first=Sienna |date=2022-04-08 |title=Goodbye from LabourList's editor |url=https://labourlist.org/2022/04/goodbye-from-labourlists-editor/ |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=LabourList |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Amy |date=2022-04-07 |title=Elliot Chappell to take over as editor at LabourList |url=https://www.responsesource.com/bulletin/news/elliot-chappell-to-take-over-as-editor-at-labourlist/ |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=ResponseSource |language=en}}

In December 2022, Elliot Chappell announced he was stepping down as editor and pursuing a career in the law. [https://twitter.com/elliot_chappell/status/1606215909911056386?s=20&t=UdZDlzKd_NPzbf4InRDIGQ] Katie Neame was promoted to Senior Reporter, Cathleen Clarke was hired as Business Manager and Morgan Jones was hired as a reporter.[https://labourlist.org/about/]. Tom Belger joined as its new editor in April 2023.

On 11 April 2009, it was reported by the Daily Telegraph that Gordon Brown's special adviser, Damian McBride, had sent a series of emails to Draper, discussing plans to set up a blog which would be used to post false rumours about the private lives of senior members of the Conservative Party.

McBride resigned later the same day, and 10 Downing Street issued an apology for the "juvenile and inappropriate" emails. Gordon Brown later sent personal letters to those who had been mentioned in the emails,{{cite news|last1=Hinsliff|first1=Gaby|last2=Tran|first2=Mark|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/apr/12/damian-mcbride-derek-draper-emails | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=McBride and Draper emails: 'Gents, a few ideas'| date=12 April 2009|access-date=17 November 2017}} expressing his regret over the incident.

In the wake of the incident, Labour sought to distance itself from LabourList owing to its connection with Draper.{{cite web|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4a4f003c-2863-11de-8dbf-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1|title=Labour tries to limit fallout|work=Financial Times}} Draper also came under pressure to resign his post as editor of LabourList.{{Cite web|url=http://www.politics.co.uk/analysis/culture-media-and-sport/analysis-pressure-on-labourlist-$1287846.htm |title=Analysis: Pressure on LabourList |last=Dunt |first=Ian |date=14 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527184058/http://www.politics.co.uk/analysis/culture-media-and-sport/analysis-pressure-on-labourlist-%241287846.htm |archive-date=27 May 2011 |url-status=dead }} On 6 May 2009, Draper stepped down from his position as Editor.

• ConservativeHome
• Liberal Democrat Voice

{{reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.labourlist.org/ LabourList]

Category:British political websites

Category:Internet properties established in 2009

Category:Organisations associated with the Labour Party (UK)