Rebuilding the progressive left is not just about the Labour leadership. A group of UK-based progressives have started a research project to look at opportunities for new organisations.
Rebuilding the progressive left is not just about the Labour leadership. Indeed, it’s about much more than the Labour party.
So a few months ago a small group of primarily UK-based progressives including Labour List’s Alex Smith and Open Left’s Anthony Painter got together to initiate a conversation about the types of campaigns, institutions, blogs and tools that would help the broad, plural left to renew. The group included community organisers, environmentalists, campaigners, Labour and Lib Dem activists, bloggers, writers, and development workers.
In starting this process, there’s an obvious case study from across the Atlantic. The lesser told story about the Democrats’ success in the 2006 midterm elections and 2008 presidential race doesn’t even have the word ‘Obama’ in the headline. From 2004 onwards, a process of institution building took place across the American left to reclaim from the right an advantage in policy formation, political communication, movement development, and voter engagement lost during the ascendancy of US conservatives over three decades.
Much of what they created is already in place in the UK but a few of us have now undertaken a piece of research to look systematically at what happened in the US to create the infrastructure that supports a new form of politics, and what opportunities may exist in the UK. We are now able to employ a researcher to take forward this body of work.
The ‘Latimer Project’ as it’s become known has started advertising for a researcher to carry out a four-month project. We are looking to kick things off in the next few weeks so anyone interested should submit an application.
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23 Responses to “Rebuilding the progressive left”
Will Straw
Thanks for the thoughtful comments.
Marcus – I completely agree. Politics is no longer about partisan loyalty, it’s about which coalition can achieve the objectives that you believe in. For me, that means a mixture of Labour, Lib Dem, and Green parties in Parliament with support from a wide range of non-aligned activists on issues such as climate change, constitutional reform, poverty, etc.
Oxford Kevin – Green party members have to be included. Small ‘g’ greens are already involved in this process (I used “environmentalists” as short hand). I’d like to think that Left Foot Forward is testament to how a left branded organisation can include big ‘G’ and little ‘g’ greens.
Guido – I agree that finding a wider base of funders is key but we should not throw out the baby with the bath water. The unions have an important historic relationship with the Labour party and it’s my view that the decline in union membership is partly responsible for the increasing levels of dislocation felt by people at work. A return to the 1970s is not what we want but finding a role for union members and for the unions themselves is important to the future of progressive politics.
Anon – As you know, I’m committed to a more open style of Labour politics. The tribalism of the past has to end. From reading recent interviews and articles with Mandelson, Campbell, and co I get the sense that they think it went too far too.
Tracy – part of the rebuilding process does, of course, have to include a reflection of what went wrong over 13 years but (you won’t agree, I’m sure) there was a lot of good too and we shouldn’t forget the achievements such as the national minimum wage, improvements in health and education, and in tackling poverty, for example.
Anon E Mouse
Will – I do agree that you personally are committed to a more open style of Labour politics and I think that is a good thing but I really think you guys need a watered down South African Truth and Reconciliation type thing.
I do not suggest that Labour did nothing in 13 years and I personally did not disagree with the war in Iraq (and it was never illegal) but what I do not like (and I represent now an ex Labour voter although my missus is on about joining the party to vote “anyone but Balls”) is the *control freak* style of setting the agenda.
That’s why Campbell, Mandelson and that lot need to take NO PART in anything regarding Labour from here on in. Make no mistake what Guido states regarding union funding will cause big problems but either Labour is going to change or it isn’t and some of the activist type stuff nonsense and the hysterical style of “journalism” displayed regularly by a couple of your contributors will not help. Just how many “deniers” can Shamik “unmask” I wonder? ; – )
I watched QT last night with a genuine Socialist and she was absolutely astounded to see Cameron swat away Harman’s marriage tax break by stating that Labour had rewarded the rich with it’s Inheritance Tax “giveaway” (I agree with that btw) yet he wasn’t able to help the less wealthy?
The fact is that Blair was right and Brown couldn’t beat Cameron but I really think that Labour is in danger of being squeezed by the Liberals at the next election (A view not shared by an ex Tory MP I spoke to last week though)so it needs to get a move on with whatever future it holds.
I believe that over the coming months the style of governing I disliked will be diluted anyway and I do look forwards to the party conference to watch the finger pointing recriminations.
I stand by what I said about Brown’s gutless hanging on in Downing Street creating a stronger coalition government than a minority Conservative one.
Rebuilding the progressive left | Left Foot Forward
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TOM
Progressive is just another kind word for COMMUNISM, which means, take what someone else has worked hard for and give it to someone else. THAT WAS NOT JESUS’ WAY, BUT SATAN’S WAY.
TOM
Progressive is just another kind word for COMMUNISM, which means, take what someone else has worked hard for and give it to someone else. THAT WAS NOT JESUS’ WAY, BUT SATAN’S WAY.