Politics is power. The rest is commentary.

There’s nothing like a General Election to focus political minds. As Labour braces itself for the toughest election since 1992, all of us are digging deep, fiercely debating what it means to be Labour today. We know that the next election needs to be about more than our record. It needs to reflect the realities of a changed world – one very different from 2005, let alone 1997.

Of course there’s the negative – the perfect storm of a political crisis in MPs’ expenses and an economic one in the banking crash. But there is also the positive. As we discuss in the latest Anticipations the explosion of the internet has been a powerful democratising force, giving people more ways to collaborate, communicate and organise than ever before. The fact that the next General Election will be the first to be fought online may have become a cliche. But that’s only because it has been said so many times.

Against this backdrop David Miliband’s speech to Demos yesterday was particularly pertinent. A big picture set piece about the challenges ahead, he framed the next election as a choice between two competing political visions with fundamentally opposing ideas about the rightful role of the state. At the heart of his critique of Conservatism was an analysis of the role of government that is as simple as it is profound,

“The principle [that applies to the challenges we face] is that power needs to be vested in the people, but we do not reveal a powerful populace simply in the act of withdrawing the state. In fact a powerless government simply means more power to the already powerful.”

Does that mean that we shouldn’t be worried about government becoming too powerful? Of course not. Government power must only be exercised when it empowers ordinary people. That’s why we need to look again at electoral reform – it simply isn’t right that the majority of votes at the next election just won’t count. It’s why we need to look again at the balance between security and liberty – people need to feel that power rests in their hands and not in the levers of the state. Yet at the heart of all these issues lies a fundamental principle on which all left wing policy should hang. A principle that David Miliband highlighted in his speech.

Politics is about creating powerful people. The rest, to quote an old Jewish saying, is commentary.

A very Tory wobble

I was pleased but not surprised to read about the new Guardian ICM poll this morning. Seven points behind the Tories before the short campaign isn’t ideal. But it’s a far cry from the 1997 moment that the Tories have been hoping for. The fact that the Tories have yet to seal the deal, loses none if its salience, however many times it is said. Even in Cheltenham, a place that many people think must be true blue (it isn’t – the Liberals have held it since 1992), local people remain skeptical about Cameron and his clan. So why is that?

The challenge that the Tories face is that their greatest asset is also their Achilles heal. There is no denying that David Cameron is a slick presenter. He has turned the Tory image round from depths of the ‘wink wink nudge nudge’ days of Michael Howard and the ‘are you thinking what we’re thinking?’ 2005 campaign. But four years on and that image has become confused. David now has a split personality, stern ‘age of austerity’ Mr Cameron one day, joyous ‘let the sun shine’ Dave the next.

Andy Coulson famously said of Tory spin that if David doesn’t say it it simply isn’t news. Well David’s said a lot. But little of it has been consistent. On the doorstep in Cheltenham and across the country people are telling Labour activists that they simply don’t know what the Tories stand for.

With only a few months left until the election, it’s beginning to dawn on them that they probably never will.

Following the backlash to the airbrushed image of Cameron, The Tories have taken a different tack with their new posters – there’s no David Cameron in sight. But they know, and as the poll confirmed today, that he remains more popular than his party. As polling day approaches and the media spotlight grows even more the tightrope that Cameron has been walking will become even less stable. There’s no denying that Labour remain underdogs. But if we stand firm while Dave wobbles there may just be an upset.

James is Labour PPC for Cheltenham

The best fiver you’ll ever spend!

The topic of Anticipations couldn’t be more current. With many predicting that the next General Election will be the first to be fought online, the Young Fabians’ magazine asks ‘Can the Internet Change Politics?’ And fittingly, given the topic, for the first time the magazine is available to read in full online.

Anticipations is usually only available to our members, but along with this exclusive online edition for all our supporters, we are also offering a special rate of membership to celebrate our 50th year – £5 for six months membership. To view the online edition please click here.

By joining the Young Fabians you’ll receive much more than Anticipations. You’ll become a member of the only thinktank in the country run by and for young people. For over fifty years we have been at the forefront of debate on the Left, agitating for change through our pamphlets, magazines and events. You can become part of that rich tradition by joining the Young Fabians today.

What’s more, it only costs a fiver. That’s it. For that price you’ll receive Anticipations, priority booking for our events, as well as invitations to our socials and policy debates. It gets even better. You’ll also receive the Fabian Society’s magazine, Fabian Review, and the latest editions of their excellent policy books and pamphlets. So what are you waiting for? Join the Young Fabians today by clicking here.

Anticipations Online Trial

When the British scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989, few could have anticipated its impact. Twenty years later and few aspects of modern life have been left untouched by its influence. Politics is no exception. As the General Election approaches more and more people are asking – Can the internet change politics? It’s an important debate to be had and one that the current edition of Anticipations explores. With contributors from many of the Left’s most active bloggers, politicians and activists, this edition of Anticipations delves into one of the big political debates of our time.

Contributors include:

• Sarah Brown
• Ben Bradshaw MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
• Kerry McCarthy MP, Labour Party New Media Campaign Spokesperson
• Tom Harris MP, Member of Parliament for Glasgow South
• Alex Smith, Editor of Labourlist
• Will Straw, Editor of Left Foot Forward
• John Wood, TUC Touchstone blog
• Jessica Asato, Acting Director of Progress
• And many more, including a good number of Young Fabian members.

I hope you enjoy the magazine!

James Green

Editor, Anticipations

The Young Fabians need you!

Cartoons have been a part of politics for as long as politicians. Their popularity is about far more than aesthetics. A great cartoon can highlight an issue or satarise the powerful in ways that few articles can.

Watching Blair’s evidence at the Chilcott Inquiry, for example, I was reminded of Gerald Scarfe’s famous cartoon of the former Prime Minister. Grumpy and weighed down with Iraq’s ball and chain, it stripped Blair of his slick gloss in a way that no committee – however distinguished – could.

The current edition of Anticipations – which will be hitting members doorsteps in the coming days – contains the first ever Young Fabians cartoon (see above). Placed above the Message from the Editor, it captures my view that British politicians have been left behind online. I argue that WebCameron – which is supposed to represent the best our politicians can offer – is little more than the moving picture equivalent of a set piece ministerial speech or top line briefing. Labour should learn the real lessons of the web and use its power to give people meaningful control over the public services that shape their lives.

I want to include more cartoons in future magazines – so this is a call to arms! If you’re a cartoonist and would like to contribute to a future edition of Anticipations, to paraphrase the words beneath perhaps the most famous political cartoon of them all, we need you! Please get in touch.

Also, we’re including Letters to the Editor in the next edition of Anticipations.  Let me know your thoughts about the cartoon and anything else in the magazine. Did you passionately disagree with any of the contributors? Did you strongly support the position of an article? If so, let me know.

We’re always looking to make Anticipations even better. If you have any ideas for how it could be improved, whether it’s new sections, features or topics, we want to hear from you.

I hope you enjoy reading the magazine!

James Green

Anticipations Editor

Anticipations goes to print

This year I took over the reigns of our quarterly magazine, Anticipations, from Alex Baker. They were big boots to fill. Alex has transformed Anticipations over the past few years, giving it a professional look that could hold its own on any newsstand. 

Putting the magazine together has been an incredible but challenging task. From securing engaging contributions to designing a professional looking publication, from ensuring that we had strong images to getting it all printed, it has been a steep learning curve to say the least! Last night the magazine went to print and it will be hitting Young Fabian members’ doorsteps at the beginning of February.

The topic of the edition couldn’t be more current. With many predicting that the next General Election will be the first to be fought online, Anticipations asks ‘Can the Internet Change Politics?’  With contributors including Sarah Brown, Ben Bradshaw MP, Tom Harris MP, LabourList’s Alex Smith and many others – including a good number of Young Fabian members – it should be a really interesting read.

We’re always looking for new ways to make Anticipations even better. If you have any ideas for new features, topics or contributors please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

I hope you enjoy the magazine!

New Pamphlet from the Candidates Network: Join the Debate

The new pamphlet from the Young Fabians Candidates Network continues to gain momentum around the Labour blogosphere. On Progress online today Emma Reynolds, PPC for Wolverhampton North East, writes about her views on gender equality and makes the case that to live in a more equal society, mothers and fathers should have the choice of equally sharing parental leave. It’s a position that I strongly support. As Emma rightly says, the dramatic difference between maternity and paternity leave entitlement has resulted in far too many employers viewing women of child bearing age as a risk to their business. By sharing parental leave, we could challenge that view and break through the glass ceiling that continues to hamper the potential of half our country’s work force.

Young Fabians PPC Week: Join the Debate

James Green is Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Cheltenham and the Young Fabians Candidates Network Officer. Check out the new Young Fabians Candidates Network pamphlet here.

Why Labour can win and why the country need a centre-left government

The Sun’s decision to withdraw its support for Labour was designed to cause maximum damage. Timed to coincide with the Leaders Speech, it’s fair to say that the headline was written long before Brown took to the podium. However, what was most interesting about the Sun’s coverage was what it didn’t say rather than what it did. “Labour’s Lost It” was far from the ringing endorsement that Cameron might have hoped for – a far cry from the beaming smile and “The Sun Backs Blair” headline of 1997.

There’s no getting away from the fact that it’s a tough time for Labour. However, what the Sun’s headline reflects is that the political sands haven’t shifted to the Tories quite yet. People are leaving Labour not because the Tories offer a better option, but because they feel disempowered by a political system that feels out of breath and out of touch. As the governing Party Labour will get the brunt of that disaffection. However, as the governing party we are best placed to do something about it.

That’s why we need a centre-left government. Labour can still win the next election because the big challenges we face can only be tackled through progressive means. Reengaging the public, giving people greater power over the issues that affect their lives, cannot be achieved simply by rolling back the frontiers of the state. What’s required is a new type of politics in which the state plays an empowering role – a point that was made by a number of Young Fabian members at last night’s PPC debate. David Chaplin and Adrian Prandle from the Young Fabian Exec, are right that Young PPCs have an important role to play in that process.

Throughout this week young PPCs have been sharing their ideas for the future. We’ve published a pamphlet, held an important debate and hosted a number of guest contributions from young PPCs on the Young Fabians blog. The Young Fabians first ‘PPC Week’ has confirmed that, despite what the Sun may say, progressive politics is alive and well and ready to take the fight to the Tories.

New Pamphlet from the Candidates Network: Join the Debate

The new pamphlet from the Young Fabians Candidates Network is gaining momentum around the Labour blogosphere. Rachel Reeves from Leeds West has written about it on Labour List today and I have posted an article about it on Open Left.

With more articles to come in the coming weeks, we want to hear your views.

New Pamphlet from the Young Fabians Candidates Network

After twelve years of Labour government, at a critical moment for progressive politics, we have invited twelve of Labour’s young Prospective Parliamentary Candidates to share their vision for the future.

It will be the next generation of Labour politicians that will need to develop new solutions to meet the challenges of changed times. Our new pamphlet aims to spark debate about the future direction of progressive politics.

Download your copy of The New Progressives: Voices of Labour’s Future here

Contributions from Prospective Parliamentary Candidates from across the country cover a wide range of issues, reflecting the wealth of ideas within progressive politics. For some like Rachel Reeves, PPC for Leeds West, an international outlook is key, whilst Emma Reynolds, PPC for Wolverhampton North East, focuses on gender equality, an issue much closer to home. Chris Ostrowski, who fought the Norwich North by-election, argues that people demand a greater sense of ‘fair play’, whilst Alan Strickland, PPC for Berwick-upon-Tweed, makes the case that the public want a more liberal state.

We want to hear your views. Have your say on the Young Fabians blog.

Since being set up earlier this year the Young Fabians Candidates Network has gone from strength to strength and is now supported by PPCs from across the country. If you are a young PPC and would like to join the network please contact James Green

Young Fabians PPC Week: Join the Debate

Rebecca Rennison is Labour PPC for South West Wiltshire and Secretary of the Young Fabians.

Why Labour can win and why the country needs a centre-left government

I recently heard a Conservative describe the Labour Party as “ideologically bankrupt”. The reality is far from this. Our challenge lies not in the generation of ideas but in the expression of them. Of all the leaders speeches this Conference season David Cameron’s stood out the most. Not for the content, nor for the oratory, but for the clear message that went with it. Cameron’s speech made it clear that his was the party of small government, keen to “roll back the state” and place the emphasis on the individual rather than the collective. It was a clear rallying cry for the party faithful whilst tempered with messaging that would have wide appeal.

Labour is still the party of ideas but we need to do more to explain why our policies are Labour, to draw a clear dividing line between us and the Conservatives. We’ll win by talking about who we are why for us it’s not good enough to leave the education you get or the healthcare you receive up to chance, that the state has a role to play in ensuring that wherever you are in the country, whatever your income, you have real opportunities to fulfil your potential. Let’s not get caught up in talk of “cuts now” v “cuts later”, let’s be brave enough to talk about why we think that Government has an important role to play, why taxes matter and what public spending has achieved so far and would continue to achieve under Labour.

In short, to win the next election Labour needs to step out of the shadows and explain that whilst the Conservatives may claim to share the same goals as us, their way leaves much to chance and has few guaranteed outcomes, it is our way that will make a real difference.