Left-wing Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was triumphant in the most recent election, winning 51.79 per cent of the votes. President Lula placed importance on tackling poverty and reducing inequality, consistently putting working people at the heart of his politics. It is these admirable values that contributed to Lula’s re-election and it is these values that governments in the UK and the US should learn from.
Firstly, tackling poverty must be a priority. Lula’s social programme, Bolsa Familia, provides financial assistance to low income families in the form of cash transfers, while encouraging children’s school attendance and regular health checks. Bolsa Familia has been vital in reducing poverty, inequality and hunger: by 2015, the percentage of the population living below the poverty line dropped from 13 percentage points to 3, and it is estimated that the level of extreme poverty would be between 33 per cent and 50 per cent higher without the scheme.
In wealthy and supposedly ‘developed’ nations, it is unacceptable for families to struggle to afford basic necessities while economic prosperity remains deeply unevenly distributed. Currently 13.4m people live in relative poverty in the United Kingdom, and Lula has demonstrated that the only way to reduce this number is to strengthen social security, invest in affordable housing, and ensure that children have access to nutritious meals and quality education. His leadership has shown that supporting disadvantaged people is an investment in society’s future, and is a realistic goal.
Lula has also made it clear who economic growth must truly benefit: the ordinary worker. Lula supported increases in the minimum wage and backed a constitutional amendment to reduce the standard working week from 44 to 40 hours with two days off and no salary cut. These policies exhibit Lula’s prioritisation of people over profit, challenging the assumption that national economic success should be measured by stock markets or headline growth figures. The British and American governments have much to learn from this approach; they should stop treating workers simply as a cost to businesses and instead recognise them as the foundation of the economy and society that they are.
Lula’s approach highlights the need to measure economic success not only by how much wealth is generated, but also by how fairly that wealth is shared. But, crucially, his return to office also demonstrates the continuing importance of coalition-building and engagement with a population of voters who feel ignored. In both the UK and the US, political debates have become dominated by cultural conflict, persistent scapegoating, and hostility towards opponents. But Lula has done something different: he has offered hope rather than division, prioritising delivering credible solutions over simply winning arguments.
Finally, social justice has been a key part of Lula’s campaigns and work as president. When he assumed office three years ago he pledged to end deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. The UK and the US should similarly recognise the importance in tackling climate change, to protect the environment, and the future of ordinary working people. Lula’s approach emphasises the importance of protecting natural resources over short-term economic interests. Both the UK and the US must invest more in renewable energy, create green jobs, and hold major polluters accountable. This transition must also be fair, and ensure that working-class communities are not left facing higher energy bills.
Ultimately, Lula has illustrated the importance of putting long-term goals and the protection of working people above all else. The central lesson that the UK and US need to learn from his example is that politics should be judged by how it improves the lives of people. If Britain and America want stronger, fairer societies, then they should follow in the footsteps of Lula and prioritise fighting poverty, respecting democracy, and putting citizens at the heart of policymaking.
Photo by Samuel Costa Melo on Unsplash
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A politics of hope: What the UK and the US can learn from Lula
Left-wing Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was triumphant in the most recent election, winning 51.79 per cent of the votes. President Lula placed importance on tackling poverty and reducing inequality, consistently putting working people at the heart of his politics. It is these admirable values that contributed to Lula’s re-election and it is these values that governments in the UK and the US should learn from.
Firstly, tackling poverty must be a priority. Lula’s social programme, Bolsa Familia, provides financial assistance to low income families in the form of cash transfers, while encouraging children’s school attendance and regular health checks. Bolsa Familia has been vital in reducing poverty, inequality and hunger: by 2015, the percentage of the population living below the poverty line dropped from 13 percentage points to 3, and it is estimated that the level of extreme poverty would be between 33 per cent and 50 per cent higher without the scheme.
In wealthy and supposedly ‘developed’ nations, it is unacceptable for families to struggle to afford basic necessities while economic prosperity remains deeply unevenly distributed. Currently 13.4m people live in relative poverty in the United Kingdom, and Lula has demonstrated that the only way to reduce this number is to strengthen social security, invest in affordable housing, and ensure that children have access to nutritious meals and quality education. His leadership has shown that supporting disadvantaged people is an investment in society’s future, and is a realistic goal.
Lula has also made it clear who economic growth must truly benefit: the ordinary worker. Lula supported increases in the minimum wage and backed a constitutional amendment to reduce the standard working week from 44 to 40 hours with two days off and no salary cut. These policies exhibit Lula’s prioritisation of people over profit, challenging the assumption that national economic success should be measured by stock markets or headline growth figures. The British and American governments have much to learn from this approach; they should stop treating workers simply as a cost to businesses and instead recognise them as the foundation of the economy and society that they are.
Lula’s approach highlights the need to measure economic success not only by how much wealth is generated, but also by how fairly that wealth is shared. But, crucially, his return to office also demonstrates the continuing importance of coalition-building and engagement with a population of voters who feel ignored. In both the UK and the US, political debates have become dominated by cultural conflict, persistent scapegoating, and hostility towards opponents. But Lula has done something different: he has offered hope rather than division, prioritising delivering credible solutions over simply winning arguments.
Finally, social justice has been a key part of Lula’s campaigns and work as president. When he assumed office three years ago he pledged to end deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. The UK and the US should similarly recognise the importance in tackling climate change, to protect the environment, and the future of ordinary working people. Lula’s approach emphasises the importance of protecting natural resources over short-term economic interests. Both the UK and the US must invest more in renewable energy, create green jobs, and hold major polluters accountable. This transition must also be fair, and ensure that working-class communities are not left facing higher energy bills.
What Lula’s re-election means for the Amazon
Ultimately, Lula has illustrated the importance of putting long-term goals and the protection of working people above all else. The central lesson that the UK and US need to learn from his example is that politics should be judged by how it improves the lives of people. If Britain and America want stronger, fairer societies, then they should follow in the footsteps of Lula and prioritise fighting poverty, respecting democracy, and putting citizens at the heart of policymaking.
Photo by Samuel Costa Melo on Unsplash
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