The Future of the Fabians: 3 suggestions

Fabianism is older than the Labour Party. Its tradition stems back before the Labour Representation Committee, before Keir Hardie and before version one of Clause 4. And yet Fabianism was crucial to every Labour government since it formed the party and must still be crucial to contributing to the formation of the next Labour government.

Sunder Katwala moves on from his service to the society and leaves it at time of renewal across the Labour Party. The Fabians and the Labour Party will both have new General Secretaries in 2011 and both individuals will have the challenges of making their organisations adapt to opposition.

Young Fabians and Young Labour members should rise to this moment and to Ed Miliband’s assertion that a new generation has taken over the party. In 2010 over 190 of the Society’s 320 new members were Young Fabians.

So here are three suggestions I would offer to the new Fabian General Secretary as an active member of the Young Fabians:

1. Membership is more than paying your subs

The Young Fabians pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation, where being a member means more than receiving a magazine and pamphlet in the post each month and going to conferences. Young Fabian members are encouraged to attend social events, contribute to policy commissions, join in online debates, write for our blog and for our magazine. We strive to make our members feel part of an organisation of like minded young people that they have ownership of and a space where they can debate and offer ideas. There is more the senior society can do to foster a sense that Fabians are part of a tradition, a community, a movement, where their ideas are valued and contribute to the future of the Labour party.

2. Campaigning is an important part of politics

Whilst we’re unashamed of being part of “pamphlet labour” and talking policy is our usp, the Young Fabians have a great tradition of being young campaigners as well as young thinkers. For local, general, European elections and even the US and Swedish General Elections, the Young Fabians have hit the #labourdoorstep and given the shoe leather needed to win elections for Labour candidates. There is a time for pamphlets and a time for action and the Young Fabians are as proud of our canvassing as of our policy and research. Without campaigning, Labour candidates would never get elected and our policies would stay in pamphlet books rather than getting on to the statue book.

3. Politics happens outside London

After some deserved criticism and a lot of hard work, the Young Fabians have made huge strides at improving our reach outside of London. The key lesson we learned, wasn’t to mandate a largely London based Executive to travel up and down the country running meetings. It was to learn that empowering non-London based members to run events with advice and guidance was more productive and brought better results. We still have further to go on this but there is much to be gained from empowering Fabians to run their activities, with relevant support, wherever they are. The new General Secretary should build and develop the Fabian local societies, encouraging them to become active parts of the Labour party in the regions and areas they work.

I’m sure there are more ideas that other Young Fabians would like to add to the debate about the future of the Fabians. Please join the debate and submit your contribution here.

Brian Duggan is Policy Officer for the Young Fabians.

Is Maurice Glasman more radical than the nation’s youth?

God knows if the House of Lords is ready for Dr Maurice Glasman. The newly-ennobled community organiser/academic/guru left the Fabian Conference on Saturday entertained by his brilliance and agitated by his bluntness in equal measure. None more so than the Young Fabians who had invited him to be part of the lunchtime panel discussion looking at the “Squeezed Youth”.

The clunkiness of the term mirrors the fact that 11 million-plus 15-30 year olds in the UK don’t fit into any neat political box. So whilst the left’s political narrative focuses on the vague, yet compelling idea of the “squeezed middle”, it is the ‘lost generation’ being squeezed the hardest and left with the long-term bill for the future.

Take youth unemployment. According to the Centre of Economic and Social Inclusion, long-term youth unemployment grew by 22,000 last month and now stands 4.5 per cent. That is more than the adult figure.

Yet the Future Jobs Fund has been cut with no substitute being proposed. In housing, too, the Government will cut housing benefit for single young people under 35 by an extra £215 million each year, entitling them to only shared accommodation – because young people are expected to live in shared accommodation.

The idea was simple: ask young people to what they they feel ‘squeezed’ about and let them use their own voice. Lo-fi video-editing aside, the voices in the video were honest and real:

YouTube Direkt

Jobs, housing, transport, workplace representation – the video responses show young people care deeply about more things than they get credit for. Young people like 19-year-old Richard Serunjogi are not interested in just being limited to talking about ‘youth issues’. On Saturday, his emphasis was that young people have a stake in all the decisions being taken to shape Britain’s future, since that future is the one young people will eventually be responsible for.

So the lunchtime session at the conference was billed as exploring how Labour can reconnect with the young people behind these voices.

That was until Dr Glasman turned up. The largest round of applause during the session followed Glasman’s appeal against the “dispiriting, meaningless, interminable atmosphere” that follows many Labour party meetings, like the one he was currently sitting in. He remarked that the panel discussion managed to invoke old memories of a young Maurice-the-academic attending a conference in the Soviet Union. Brutally this was exactly the kind of meeting that community organising tells you not to have.

The worst thing: Maurice has a point.

As Jessica Studdert, who wrote a chapter on Labour party reform in last year’s Young Fabian pamphlet ‘The New Generation’, acknowledged engagement in Labour was often “in spite of, not because of” the way many local Labour parties involve young people. Yet new MPs, like Rushanara Ali, already know the importance of a more open engagement with young people. She emphasised that Labour MPs and the party as a whole needs to change the way it tries to interact with young people.

So young people leaving that session were left pondering: how did we allow ourselves to become less radical than Maurice?

This post was originally posted at Leftfootforward.

The New Generation: how do we make the economy work for everyone, home and abroad?

Margaret Dantas Araujo, member of the Livelihoods and Resource Security Young Fabian Policy Development Group, uses the comprehensive spending review as a lens to look at arguments made in the just published Young Fabian pamphlet, The New Generation. We are very keen to hear what you think of the pamphlet – please let us know your thoughts by posting a comment. This is the fourth in a series of posts on ‘The New Generation’, which you can read by clicking here.

The ring-fencing of UK aid in the spending review is right and in the country’s interest. Right because even during these austere times we have a moral duty to help the world’s poorest people and in our interest because it plays an important role in making the world a more stable and prosperous place.

But that’s only half the story. The coalition has proposed a significant shift of focus in the aid budget towards failing and conflict-affected states. This approach risks ignoring the fundamental dilemmas of resource scarcity that underlie the real development challenges of the coming decade: the carbon intensive growth that underpins current development gains, the high inequalities present in many middle income economies and the huge increases in urban poverty.

Progressive development policy must begin with these dilemmas in mind, bridging development, environmental and distributive concerns. Failing to address these issues or the series of interdependent, systemic challenges they relate to – energy and food security, jobless growth, climate change, global governance – will leave the UK and developing countries more, not less vulnerable.

The most powerful way that the UK can lead in a changing world is by example. Domestic action towards sustainable development strengthens the moral and political foundations needed for a global role as catalyst and reformer, impacting positively upon the environment and the world’s most vulnerable. Cutting investments in UK renewable energy as the coalition government has done is short sighted and in the long run increases Britain’s dependence on energy imports and undermines our international efforts. Why should other countries invest in renewable energy if we do not?

The UK’s economy should be synonymous with sustainable products, design and construction, clean energy and technology, ethical consumers and attractive, green cities. These would be the true green shoots of a balanced British recovery and it is vital therefore that this moment is used to press for a new, greener, more equitable path to growth in Britain and overseas. The UK should push for the G20 to broaden its sights from the immediate and much needed reform of the global banking and financial system, towards green and equitable growth.

Without such leadership the $70 trillion held by investment funds ready to invest; such investment could help the least developed countries leapfrog dirty development by building low carbon energy infrastructure. Such investment could spur growth by investing in communications systems, such as broadband, that encourage entrepreneurship by enabling people to connect market information and local knowledge, enhance opportunities for civil society organisation and help in the provision of efficient and effective basic services.

This post originally appeared on Left Foot Forward.

The New Generation: what do we want workplaces and the economy to look like?

Chair of the Work and Families Young Fabian Policy Development Group, Josie Cluer, highlights key issues from her chapter in the just published Young Fabian pamphlet, The New Generation. We are very keen to hear what you think of the pamphlet – please let us know your thoughts by posting a comment. This is the third in a series of posts from the authors of ‘The New Generation’, which you can read by clicking here.

To win again, and win again soon, Labour needs to be seen as a party of government. Therefore, we need a compelling alternative economic strategy to address the economic reality. Anyone who opposes every cut in public spending is in denial of the economic situation. We must articulate how we would deal with the economic crisis differently from the current government. This must be based on fairness: cuts should be spread evenly across the income spectrum.

Perhaps in the past Labour has been agnostic about the kinds of industries and the kinds of jobs that we want in Britain: as long as the economy is booming, the reasons don’t matter. But the crisis in the banking sector showed that our economy was too dependent on the financial sector; and the cuts to be implemented will demonstrate that it is too dependent on the public sector. Similarly, our values should warn against an economy over-reliant on the grey, informal economy, which routinely exploits its low skilled, low paid workforce, and offers little progression or hope for them.

As we begin to recover from the recession and build the economy again, there is an opportunity to reshape the economy to be more resilient, as well as better for jobs and communities.

Our ambition should be for Britain to lead the world in the industries of the future. This does not mean “picking winners”; it requires a far more subtle approach. But all government actions – not just those in industry – contribute to the willingness of enterprises and industries to invest and develop in Britain.

Ed Miliband should consider:

• An inward investment review to understand fully the factors which drive investment in the kinds of high skill, high value industries we want
• Policies which incentivise parts of the economy we want to grow, like green industries, social enterprises and the creative economy.

Similarly, Labour should not be agnostic about the kinds of jobs we want. Our ambition should be for fair and satisfying workplaces.

New Labour’s vision of economic efficiency and social justice should remain our ambition. Faced with the challenges of an ageing population, emerging economies and globalisation, Britain’s economy cannot afford to have so many people out of work. At the same time, many who do not work are prevented by a labour market that is insufficiently flexible to enable them to juggle work with families and other responsibilities. Every mother who chooses not to work because she’s fed up of the inflexibility her employer gives her to look after her kids if they’re off school sick is a blow to the economy. And it’s unfair on her. Every older worker who is denied a job because the employer worries about him being a bit slow up the stairs is a blow to the economy. And it’s unfair on him. And every person whose employer cannot give him the flexibility to manage his mental health problems is a blow to the economy. And it’s unfair on him.

Ed Miliband should initiate a joint union-employer commission on “fair workplaces of the future” looking at:

• How unions can improve the workplace
• Parents working rights
• Technology
• Mental health at work
• Working hours
• Older workers

Labour has long won people’s hearts through its vision about the kind of society we want to live in. By being bold about the kind of economy we want, and the kind of jobs we want, we can win people’s heads back too.

This post originally appeared on Progress online.

The New Generation: how can we transform the Labour Party?

Chair of the ‘Transforming our Party’ Young Fabian Policy Development Group, Jessica Studdert, outlines the arguments she makes in her chapter in the just published Young Fabian pamphlet, The New Generation. We are very keen to hear what you think of the pamphlet – please let us know your thoughts by posting a comment. This is the second in a series of posts from the authors of ‘The New Generation’, which you can read by clicking here.

The election of a new Leader with a clear mission to set a new direction, for a new generation, gives everyone in the Labour Party the opportunity to consider how we operate and interact with each other and with our communities. 

As progressives, we are by our nature in a rush to get things done. We have a sense of mission and urgency, and we always strive for more. This is as it should be, but increasingly in the recent past our mission has been led and defined by an overweening centralised electoral machine, one that has taken us far from where we started as a political party that was an organic expression of the Labour movement’s values. 

The entire institutional dynamic of the Labour Party is best characterised as that of a marketing-professional company. Communication with the electorate focusses on extracting data and then pummelling people with information. The central party retains tight control over campaign method and message delivery, and defines only narrow measures of effectiveness such as voter ID volumes. 

The last election witnessed the limits of this approach. Now Labour must effect a cultural shift that allows us to become a community-embedded movement party. Since Obama surged to victory in the US two years ago, this concept has become very in vogue in Labour circles, but too often it is a tag applied to the old way of doing things and rendered meaningless.

We need to rediscover a relational sense of politics, that recognises and rewards interaction and dialogue with members, supporters and the public. Put simply, we need to turn identification and broadcast off, and turn conversation and reciprocity on. The top-down structure of our party needs to be turned on its head so that the focus of central party and regional office activity is capacity building locally. 

CLPs need to be given the freedom, and where needed the support, to develop a culture and practice of constant campaigning, building and sustaining links with the wider community. CLPs who recruit supporters, build relationships and develop networks of interest locally should be rewarded with more money, more independence, and greater weight in the policymaking process. 

CLPs should be supported to become effective campaigning organisations. Job descriptions for each officer post would enable individuals to understand what is expected of them and allow members to hold them to account. Term limits for officers of 2-3 years would better develop the talents and skills of those who hold positions and allow more opportunity to progress. Training and advice, peer support and shadowing opportunities, would help individuals develop their CLPs and realise their potential locally. 

The new Leader should consider initiating a strategic review of the Labour Party which would consider the functions and effectiveness of the party at all levels, and how they interact with each other – branch, CLP, regional, national, the PLP and the Leader’s office. This process could also analyse trade unions, affiliates and successful movement-based organisations such as Hope Not Hate to identify strengths, greater potential for coordination locally and to build capacity. 

The Labour Party can only ever prosper when it is an expression of a vibrant, diverse and active base that has high levels of visibility, trust and interaction with our communities, providing a channel through which individuals can express their values and a link between the leadership and the electorate.

This post originally appeared on LabourList.

The New Generation: what do you think?

Young Fabian Vice Chair and editor of ‘The New Generation’, Adrian Prandle, introduces the Young Fabians’ 50^th anniversary pamphlet, which was launched by Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP in the House of Commons. We are very keen to hear what you think of the pamphlet – please let us know your thoughts by posting a comment. This is the first in a series of posts from the authors of ‘The New Generation’.

When Ed Miliband, in his first leader’s speech, told Labour Party Conference that a new generation had taken charge, ears pricked up. He spoke of a new generation ‘idealistic about our future’ and ‘not bound by the fear or the ghosts of the past.’

The Young Fabians – and the four essays in our just published 50^th anniversary pamphlet – epitomise this new generation. We bring not just a new generation of ideas to the centre-left, but also an optimism, an ambition, and a determination about what government and society together can achieve. As Douglas Alexander, in his speech to launch the pamphlet, said: “Don’t underestimate the motivation, inspiration and insight that young thinkers, activists and participants have in our collective future.”

At a time when the potential of a mass membership movement is being recalled, the Young Fabians are ahead of the game. Our involvement in Labour politics may focus on ideas and participating in change, but in publishing this work we have also developed a highly participatory model of policy development.

The four Young Fabians policy development groups that have been meeting since May have utilised the heartbeat of our organisation: members. Members who individually, and collectively, are both doers and thinkers. The belief in collectivity, central to the movement, should never again allow us to forget the value of participation.

This is a key theme of our work on Labour Party reform. From participating in a functional policy-making process, and participating in driving change in our communities, to ensuring a boost in participation of the full diversity of Labour’s members, we must speed up in replacing command and control with listen and learn as the basis for action.

And so, Young Fabian members, involved and empowered, have presented their policy ideas in a variety of fora: meetings, magazine articles, blog posts; to politicians, to experts, and to each other. We have run wiki-policy experiments, and held online meetings bringing in passion, expertise and experiences from the breadth of the country, not just from within the Westminster policy world.

The policy development groups met in a unique context: with Labour out of power for the first time in most Young Fabian members’ political lifetimes, coalition government may well have brought ‘a new politics’, and, still in the aftermath of the global economic crisis, public services begin to feel the harsh impact of the new government’s extensive and ideological spending cuts. The results are impressive, and the pamphlet pushes for party reform and offers policy recommendations across a diverse set of areas.

Change starts at home, which is why Jessica Studdert, Chair of the Young Fabian special project group, Transforming our Party, argues for a vibrant, diverse Labour Party, utilising its members to respond to the issues of the modern world with relevance and innovation and to provide a link between leadership and wider electorate.  In The path to green and equitable growth, Adam Short presents the case for a holistic approach to dealing with the interdependent challenges of energy, global governance, and developing economies and livelihoods. Chair of the Young Fabian Work and Families policy development group, Josie Cluer, calls for a proper definition of the fairness Labour represents, a new economic narrative, and a willingness to transform workplaces and family life. In the final contribution, Young Fabian members Bren Albiston and Dan Harkin discuss the interrelation of aspiration and education, and look for a commitment of involvement and participation from beyond the education sector – in families, in communities, in trade unions and in business – with the support, not control, of government. Each chapter is packed with ideas.

Take these ideas to your CLPs, your union branch meetings, your community campaign groups. Write about them, talk about them – and let us know what you think.

This pamphlet presents new ideas for a new leader of the Labour Party – but also for the whole movement. Change is needed and together we must participate in that change. The new generation is ready and able.

A similar version of this post was published on LabourList.