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.
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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.
