In what insiders describe as a bold act of pragmatism, the local Labour party is reportedly preparing to rename itself Wandsworth Green Lab, a move designed to place as much distance as possible between the Town Hall and Westminster.
Following the political aftershock of the Gorton and Denton by-election, where voters delivered what one councillor called “a chlorophyll-tinted wake-up call”, the borough’s ruling group has concluded that they must adapt or risk dramatic consequences.
“It is clear that red is not popular anymore,” commented one Labour councillor. “People want more radical change — and frankly, so do I, if it means keeping my seat,” added another (both asked to remain anonymous, which, given the circumstances, seems wise).
That is why the local Labour group resolved at its monthly meeting last week to ditch its red logo and leaflets in favour of more consensual colours.
Not only are they abandoning the traditional rose for a modern logo curiously reminiscent of the Council’s own branding (though officials insist it represents a “deconstructed rose for our high-tech age“), but their new leaflets will adopt the bright green used across the borough’s services — what one member described as “visual alignment with operational sustainability“. They have also shortened their name to reflect their identity as an innovative council unafraid of bold decisions, such as their proposal for 50% affordable housing in new developments.
Accusations of following the Tories’ move
They have since been accused by Wandsworth Conservative councillors of copying their layout.
“We were the first to switch to green in 2022. Now Labour is copying our programme. It only confirms what we have always suspected: they have absolutely no ideas of their own,” said a Conservative spokesperson.
The Conservatives are also criticising Labour’s apparent reuse of the Council’s logo in recent leaflets, which they claim is creating confusion among voters.
“In 2022, we called ourselves Wandsworth Council Conservatives, but we never went as far as reusing the logo — we kept a tree. Labour are now calling themselves Labour Wandsworth while using the Council’s logo. It is, quite simply, visual plagiarism.”
Until now, the Liberal Democrats had been reluctant to follow suit, but they are understood to be considering a sunny shade of green for their own leaflets. Matt Green, former chairman of Battersea and Tooting Lib Dems, offered enthousiastic support:
“The Liberal Democrats have always been aligned with the concerns of voters. Switching to green is simply the right thing to do.”
However, the party will stop short of signing pledges to “abolish” pollution, having concluded that such commitments did not serve them especially well when they made similar promises on tuition fees sixteen years ago.
Observers note that even Reform’s latest literature appears to contain what analysts describe as “a subtle undertone”. The party denies any shift in ideology, insisting the shade is “UK born”.
The Green Party is alarmed by the consequences
For Wandsworth Green Party, the situation is less amusing than it first appears.
While publicly mocking what they call greenwashing, party activists privately admit concern that a borough-wide scramble for green ink could drive up printing costs, a serious issue for a party operating on limited resources.
There are also fears that the proliferation of green leaflets is sowing genuine confusion among voters, forcing the party to introduce itself at the doorstep as @RealGreenParty.
With activists having to work harder to navigate the growing blur of electoral communication and make sense of who’s who, here at CJI we are helping voters to navigate through the leaflets with a “green political pantone” below, that you can print and stick on your fridge.
