"Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson appear to be participating in a competition as to who can utter the most reckless, provocative and ill thought-out statements regarding this politically sensitive issue."
"Policymakers need to work with healthcare professionals across the NHS to discuss the errors that happen, from the most common to the most serious, why they happen, the contributing factors and the ways to prevent them happening"
"Let’s put this bluntly. What exactly do we expect other European countries to do once we’ve exited the single market? Why on earth would it be any different to our own immediate demands for protectionism? Preventing this kind of reaction is the WHOLE POINT of the single market"
If we tackled this feeling of lack of opportunities and challenged the hysterical media coverage of foreigners and the EU it seems to me Britain’s outlook could still change.
Jeevun Sandher is a Young Fabian and member of the contributing writer team. Follow him on Twitter at @JeevunSandher
Mira Cornelia – a former student of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, writes on Barbara Stocking and the cover up of sexual harassment.
"There are so many amazing women in the modern trade union movement, and the image of the average trade unionist is not as male, pale and stale as it once was."
So this International Women’s Day, I’d like to call on women to protect their interests in the workplace and join the trade union relevant to their workplace. Join up with your colleagues and create a force so strong that no employer can treat you unfairly or take you for granted.
As part of the Local Government series on innovation run by our Local Government liaison officer, Adam Allnutt, we held an event in Liverpool. Following a productive meeting, Sean Flynn writes on local government funding.
"The use of mercenaries is a dangerous relic from the past which unfortunately continues to be propped up by policymakers"
But the customs union is not enough, we must be fighting for membership of the single market.
It is with municipal socialism that we can make a tangible difference in policy in the current political climate
Our European neighbours have more in common with us socially and economically than China, and if we are to succeed alone, there is still much we can learn from them.
If Theresa May has virtually eliminated the UKIP threat from the right, has Corbyn done the same with the Greens on the left?
Maura McKeon is a Young Fabian and member of the contributing writer team. She tweets at @maurapoppins.
All views are Maura’s own and not that of Durham County Council.
Arran Parry-Davies is a Young Fabian and member of the contributing writer team. Follow him on Twitter at @Arran8
Ellie Vincent is a Young Fabian and member of our contributing writer team.
Jeevun Sandher is a Young Fabian and member of the contributing writer team. He tweets at @JeevunSandher
Lily Madigan is a Young Fabian and member of the contributing writer team. She tweets at @madigan_lily
Noah Froud is a Young Fabian and member of the contributing writer team. He tweets at @yesah_
Fran Sellors is a Young Fabian and member of the contributing writer team. She tweets at @fransellors
Patch Thompson is a Young Fabian and member of the contributing writer team. He tweets at @PatchThompson92.
"Clearly, the economy has some significant issues which could benefit from the removal of cash"
Contributing Editor Ben Gartside writes on the essential role of local media. This article was initially published in the Winter 2017 Edition of Anticipations, “Local Government and Devolution”.
"The risk is that for the Palestinians and the wider Middle East give up on a diplomatic solution, and conclude that President Trump and the administration he leads are only paying lip-service to the idea of a renewed push for a peace agreement in the region"
"Younger people just don’t seem to value their personal data that much compared to older people, but perhaps because they don’t really understand what it’s worth"
Earlier this month, I interviewed the new Leader of Labour in the European Parliament, Richard Corbett. Richard has been an MEP since 1996, and led initial concerns about UKIP in 2004. We sat down in his Leeds office to discuss the left, the UK and the EU.
"The mental health crisis is real, and the NHS cannot cope."
Trigger warning: Mental Health, anxiety, depression
"We must treat exploited workers are victims, not criminals"
A big victory for the Brexit government on Friday? As Jean Claude Juncker announces sufficient progress in talks to move onto discussing a trade deal, let's rate our government's the main achievements on the three initial areas of negotiation:
If Labour doesn’t make any progress in this issue, then we will find our party continually losing on defence and Labour continually losing the confidence of the public
"For now, it makes it all the more important for those of us within the party who want to see mental health taken seriously keep fighting, so that progressive policies lead to permanent change."
"In increasingly polarised political times, calling out unacceptable comments from party colleagues can often come with a backlash"
"The agreement 40 years ago lasted just 18 months and was considered a failure in the years afterwards. Given that most polls currently suggested Labour would only be returned to government in minority it should consider looking back at its own history."
"As the left continues to reinvent itself for the modern world, accountability and democracy must sit alongside compassion as the core principles through which we understand the world. The way our money is spent to help the most needy around the world is no exception."
"If cultural shifts could see the Democrats collapse in what was once their Solid South, any equivocation over Brexit could cause similar erosions in Labour’s currently Neglected North."
The scrapping of these two-amphibious warship, what seems to be for the two new aircraft carriers is argued to be the worst procurement decision of the past half century.
Young Fabian, Ash Dharmasingham writes on British strategy in Asia. Over the last few weeks we have been publishing his research into this important issue. This week's topic is "Malaysia and Singapore". This post also includes the conclusion as the series has drawn to a close. You can access a PDF version of the entire document here.
The improvement in technologies, the rise of smartphones, and anytime, anywhere access to information can help to revolutionise public services, make them more accessible, affordable, and simplistic, but it must meet the needs of the public it serves.
"The 1967 Abortion Act Celebrates its 50th birthday this October. It was an important first step in trusting women with decisions over their own body. We must ensure that this first step is applied equally across the UK. I am fearful that if progress is made without parity, the women of Northern Ireland will just be left further behind. Women in all parts of the UK, with our allies, must fight together."
"We need to hurry along the process and call for the banning of all non-recyclable products."
"There’s a sad irony to the fact that the places worst affected by the NHS recruitment crisis are those that typically voted to leave the EU, with the north of England having the highest level of unfilled vacancies in the country."
The reason that the state will fund these innovations is that is not bound by profit motives. Its primary concern is solving problems for its citizens
Young Fabian, Ash Dharmasingham writes on British strategy in Asia. Over the next few weeks we will be publishing his research into this important issue. This week's topic is "India". Follow our blog to read next week's piece on Malaysia and Singapore
At a time when anti-Zionists on the Left are helping to drive up hate crime statistics, those of us who truly oppose racism have a duty to speak out.
Young Fabian, Ash Dharmasingham writes on British strategy in Asia. Over the next few weeks we will be publishing his research into this important issue. This week's topic is "Japan". Follow our blog to read next week's piece on India
"Adult education has a transformative impact on society, and we need to be its standard bearer."
These aspirations go to the heart of the Labour vision of the project: a desire not just to create greater amounts of wealth, but to also build a more inclusive, accessible and cooperative economy that would tackle society’s diseases of despair.
Young Fabian, Ash Dharmasingham writes on British strategy in Asia. Over the next few weeks we will be publishing his research into this important issue. This week's topic is "China". Follow our blog to read next week's piece on Japan
Young Fabian, Ash Dharmasingham writes on British strategy in Asia. Over the next few weeks we will be publishing his research into this important issue. This week's topic is "The case for a British Strategy in Asia". Follow our blog to read next week's piece on China.
Young Fabian, Ash Dharmasingham writes on British strategy in Asia. Over the next few weeks we will be publishing his research into this important issue. This week's topic is the introduction, setting out the themes that will be explored in the series. Follow our blog to read next week's piece on "The Case for a British Strategy in Asia".
For those of you who missed the International and Comms Network event on fake news, you can listen to our podcast of the event.
Britain’s left has a proud tradition of supporting just causes overseas, and a non-proliferation and disarmament platform could form the centrepiece of a new, human-centred Labour foreign policy strategy.
Recent events in the United States have been abominable and give great cause for alarm and concern. However, in our justified anger and well-intentioned desire to support one marginalised group, we must always make doubly sure that we do not end up stigmatising another.
We lost the 2017 General election just like we lost the Brexit referendum and the 2015 General election before that. Each time our generation expressed a clear preference and each time the opposing side won.
The differences and attacks become personal when we view those we oppose as traitors to the party and its history. This passion destroys our ability to work together and produce a clear message. While we cannot nor should not have a party without dissent or discussion, we need one where such disagreements can be productive and civil.
Whatever those in Westminster might think, they have to accept that power has been pushed out from the centre for good.
Nominations are open, for any Fabian Society member under the age of 31 on the date of the AGM (18 November 2017) who joined the Society before 13 May 2017, for the annual elections to the Young Fabian National Executive Committee.
Elliot Jones write on the future of Unions ahead of the Young Fabian Tech Network panel discussion. The panel is titled “Unions in the digital age” in Parliament on the 18th July with a panel compromised of Angela Eagle MP. Sam Tarry, a National Political Officer at the TSSA and councillor in Barking and Dagenham, Joe Dromey, Senior Research Fellow at the IPPR, and Becky Wright director of Unions 2. You can find out more about the event here.
Membership officer, Nathaneal Amos-Sansam writes on his membership profile research.
Tristan Grove, Chair of the Communications network was at our summer conference and writes up his thoughts
If Labour manages to do this, and if it makes sure that its politicising is based firmly in facts and grounded evidence, it will not only do a much better job at helping the victims of the fire, but it’s also much more likely to present itself as a party ready to take power.
Limiting life chances, creating poverty and resentment will inevitably drain the finances of the National Budget as it looks to socially support these individuals later in life.
Labour needs to be on an election footing, ready to build on the unexpected successes of the 2017 campaign and win those marginal seats in regions like Cornwall, that are needed to secure a majority and return a Labour government to power.
A response to ‘It’s time to re-write Britain’s constitution’
http://www.youngfabians.org.uk/it_s_time_to_rewrite_britain_s_constitution]
The DUP are in ascendancy, but democracy and peace in Northern Ireland will pay the price.
The Young Fabians are launching an exciting new project, which seeks to explore the opportunities for green policy’s integration into Labour’s platform and outline some key strategies for what a green Labour agenda would look like in the short term and the long term. The project will culminate in the launch of a policy pamphlet, outlining how Labour might harness a more impactful and integrated environmental agenda in the future.
Forget minority governments, and forget opposition. An Attlee 1945 style revolution is there if we want it and if we fight for it. The times are a changing
The No Barriers Foundation works to tackle poverty every day. We’re an education charity, set up in Manchester and founded and ran by a Young Fabian member. Our focus is on education as history tells us this is the surest and most sustainable route out of poverty. We’re hiring teachers in Bangladesh as well as resourcing schools in Guyana, Kenya and Tanzania
A written constitution could give Britain the strength and stability that the Conservatives have failed to deliver.
Two years ago the Fabians set out the mountain that Labour had to climb after that years’ election defeat. That peak has now been greatly reduced and victory is now more a very plausible outcome given the weakness of the government’s position. But given the fluid nature of British politics at the moment it’s a high stakes bet.
Ignorance of the progressive voices in Northern Ireland, and shutting ears to the cries of minorities in the province has allowed politics to fester.
- Conservatives 9 seats short of a majority government; forced into coalition with the DUP.
- Labour gain seats across the country, coming from third to win in Portsmouth South, making +29 net gains.
- Labour gain 7 MPs in Scotland, and make strong performances in London, gaining Enfield Southgate, Battersea and Kensington.
"If Labour loses the election, its persistent lack of fiscal credibility will be a contributing factor. Its fiscal policies, per se, will not be. This country is crying out for a progressive tax system in which the wealthy minority pull their weight in paying contributions."
To turn the internet into a truly effective weapon takes skill, money and power. It's time we all woke up, before the clock strikes 13.
Question: What is the most important question, this election? Answer: “Will radical devolution provide an escape?”.
A question posed, post-Brexit, by Professor Roger Scully.¹
May’s conservatism is a social one, a form of conservatism which is willing to wreck and ruin people’s living standards, people’s prospects, and our nation's prosperity in order to fit into a narrow minded ideology. A vision for a nation good, however the Conservative Manifesto has blinkers on. May seems to busy trying to right the wrongs that happened in her time as home secretary to see the economic calamity that is on it’s way.
Now, more than ever, the Labour Party must offer a credible, realistic means of dealing with our transatlantic ally.
"This is Labour at its best – protecting the many who are calling out for their rights, against the loud few who want to keep the status quo. "
"The right policies change, but the right attitude does not. With a modern agenda for change, promoted with a clear message from a strong leader, Labour can be unstoppable."
"Against Tory promises of ‘Strong and Stable Leadership’ Labour must make as clear in 2017 as in 1997 that you can never be sure with a Conservative. Today’s Conservative Party should not be allowed to hide its weakness behind Brexit. 1997 shows that a positive and principled alternative can be produced."
"New Labour’s campaign was forward looking, their policy focus was snappy and simple, and their message was unifying. It was an approach that appealed to those beyond traditional Labour strongholds."
"With more disabled Labour MPs in parliament, there will be more insight and better knowledge into the problems disabled people face in the world of work and hopefully better legislation can be drafted to ensure disabled people can compete in a 21st century workforce. "
Want to campaign but not sure where to start? The Young Fabians have worked together with other organisations to pull together a timetable of campaigning dates.
Please get in touch with any member of the exec if you have questions. Please also let us know if your organisation would like to add their dates.
"New Labour might have tried to update the party’s identity, but in government showed this really a con, and has never fully recovered. This has left a vacuum which shrieks of cosmopolitan elitism, with a lack of respect for the traditions that have developed British identity together for centuries, and appeal to many in Britain today. Without acknowledging them, Labour will continue to be soulless, and inevitably keep haemorrhaging votes."
Labour must be a progressive force, and though immigration might now seem firmly entrenched as a negative in the public consciousness, with courage and vision, the current can be altered.
Labour needs to start gaining ground and winning back voters by making in-roads into these communities if it is to have any chance of winning a majority in future elections. Only then can we realistically deliver the Labour government that Cornwall, and the country, so desperately needs.
Robin Cook’s qualities are needed to take Labour back to 1997 style victory
I am concerned that our generation has yet to learn the lessons of pragmatism and compromise that facilitated that landslide victory and all the positive change that came afterwards. We should remain critical of the mistakes made in those 13 years, but throwing “Blairite” around as a swear word is doing nobody any favours.
"Labour can at least begin the process by reforming social security and striking back at right wing rhetoric that condemns those without jobs. We can champion education systems that enable everyone and anyone to achieve their goals and contribute to society, without the need to do so through employment. We must begin this change."
"The advocates for the adoption of new technologies and new ways of working highlight the opportunities that this will bring. However, as this article makes clear, we must proceed with caution, for the changing working practices can also bring greater income inequalities and lower standards of living. "
"The political right is not blind to the rise of automation either and the same ideology that has already gutted industry in Britain once before will not see the need to manage automation to meet human needs"
"If the Labour Party is serious about tackling falling rates of homeownership, then it needs to adopt a radical approach to property taxes. "
"In what could be Andy Burnham’s final act as an MP before being elected as the Mayor for Greater Manchester Regional Authority, he sets out in this bill a legacy that the Hillsborough campaigns, and the campaigners for many other justice campaigns, can be proud of."
"We need to make sure that our unions are able to defend our rights in all working spheres, and that we have policy in place that eliminates the risk of bosses eroding those hard fought-for rights."
"We can unite in defence of our economic record, take the Tories to task and win back some precious lost ground. The fate of our party may depend on it"
"This new policy is a welcome step in the right direction however and is a well executed piece of opposition. B minus, some good ideas, room for improvement."
"Focusing on depression this World Health Day serves as a reminder that thinking about health should not be limited to conversations about funding the NHS, although of course this is important. It’s also a call to consider how environments - from schools and offices to care homes – could better promote wellbeing, rather than stress and anxiety"
"While the disempowerment of white working class people is a key factor in the leave vote, we cannot hope to engage with people until we attempt to engage with both of the products of this problem; the legitimate and the illegitimate"
"Along with plenty of other woes, Brexit has brought us to a potentially dangerous deregulatory moment in which a vote to reign in elite power could be exploited to slash the protections we will inherit from the EU"
"Labour, as the party of the workers by its very name, has to shape the future of work and prevent the Conservatives plan to give ownership of digital skills development solely into the hands of companies. "
"Labour must be a voice for Britain in the choppy waters that are to come "
"Most importantly, Labour needs to immediately unite in opposition to the hardest Brexit possible."
"A job isn't just about earning an income, but also a way to develop and improve ourselves. A job can be an outlet where we share our potential and passion for the benefit of those around us."
"But as the new economy begins to replace traditional services, there is an opportunity to shape this discussion to look at re-aligning workers and businesses, rather than pushing them further apart. Finding new and positive ways to strengthen an individual’s bond with work is the most challenging question to be answered in an increasingly casual and agile economy."
Vice Chair, Ria Bernard sets out our charity of the year. Please contact Ria at [email protected] to get involved.
Oliver MacArthur and Joe Jervis write on on the importance of non-routine and creative skills as a policy focus to help address the challenges in the labour market.
Last weekend was the founding conference of a new Labour Party organisation called Open Labour. Tristan Grove, Young Fabian was in attendance and shares his thoughts.
"If we don’t have a serious conversation about how we break this costly cycle of failure, then the extra help and support that I received a decade ago will be much harder to deliver in the future."
"Education, education, education – The words of the 1997 election and I hope, the words of the 2020 election."
"We came here because of a friendship embedded in the consciousness of our peoples. That friendship is now at risk – let’s work towards a Labour government before it is irretrievably broken. "
"Where has the fight gone? Women in Northern Ireland are UK citizens and have been denied their rights. Labour needs to fight to get abortion rights in Northern Ireland back on the table."
"The modern British workforce however, is of a distinctly different breed. We have seen the development of a workforce that is rife with insecurity and gripped by a severe lack of power. It is this insecurity that I wish to discuss at this moment. "
"Let’s place this aim firmly at the top of our agenda. In an increasingly precarious labour market, it’s our moral duty to do so. And, with local elections approaching on 4 May, putting this goal front and centre might just save us from further embarrassment in Labour heartlands"
"It was apparent that the spreadsheet chancellor was spread thin by having to create a cushion for our entry into the unknown as we leave the EU"
"Education has the power to change individuals and communities, and we cannot let a socially unjust narrative win. We owe the country more than that."
Contributing editor, Ben Gartside writes on recent YouGov polling.
"It was not until the Great War that I fully grasped the strength of the ties that bind men to the land of their birth”
Anthony Jenkins has spent the last two years predicting that an ‘Uber moment’ will bring an end to the traditional model of banking. The former CEO of Barclays is even putting his money where his mouth is. He now runs a financial technology (‘fintech’) venture and recently joined the board of the digital currency start-up Blockchain.
The Chinese economy grew by 6.7% in 2016, as official data predicted, marking its slowest growth for over two decades. A shirking market with fewer calls for infrastructure projects, means that the demand for steel has fallen. Previous excessive capacity generated more sales by lowering international prices, which dragged the UK steelworkers into tough competition.
Rachel Megan Barker, Young Fabian member writes on last night's by-elections.
Young Fabian, Kerri Prince writes on last night's election results.
As the polls close in the by-elections, two Young Fabian members share their experiences campaigning.
How do we as a party adapt to being the third-most popular party amongst working class voters?
Recent case law has made it all too clear that the UK is failing when it comes to civil relationship law.
I am currently preparing the next edition of Anticipations on the theme "It's the New Economy, Stupid?"
Many of my peers who fall into the 18-24 category will (albeit embarrassedly) admit that they have little to no knowledge about politics. As we have gotten older some have ventured to educate themselves through reading the newspaper or watching the news, but they lack a fundamental understanding of our political system.
Labour must not shy away from tackling the failings in our education system
Joel Mullan reviews some of the insights emerging from the Young Fabians Education Network.
Northern Ireland. It’s tiny, it’s across a sea, and the main UK political parties don’t run there (whether they should is a topic for a different debate). Often, there is no incentive to engage with difficult issues because they won’t win elections.
However, the recent political scandals in Northern Ireland highlights just how important this small country can be.
Automation: it’s inevitable and it’s here. As humanity’s technological capability continues enhancing, we are developing smarter ways to make our lives easier.
Labour should see reducing University fees as a long term goal, not a priority.
It is an exciting and daunting challenge for me to take on the editorship of Anticipations against the backdrop of recent changes in the world. The UK voted to leave the EU, Donald Trump is president elect of the United States, and many of Labour’s sister parties in Europe join us hesitantly watching the rise of the “alt-right”.
In my years here in this House I have long heard the Labour Party ask: what does the Conservative Party do for women? It just keeps making us prime minister.’
Theresa May’s first PMQs identified a terribly kept secret - the fact that Labour is failing women.
Nowhere was this better demonstrated than during Angela Eagle’s six-day leadership bid.
Yesterday was the first full day of campaigning with the Florida Democratic Party.
Day 2 of the Young Fabian Campaign Delegation to Orlando, Florida began with a bustle of energy and enthusiasm. We launched our delegation with a visit to the local organising branch of the Clinton Campaign on East Colonial Road in the centre of Orlando. A full briefing on the city, the local issues and candidates followed and we enjoyed a thorough introduction to our work ahead.
We were excited to fly into Orlando, Florida and begin the final half of the Young Fabians Operation Stop Trump delegation.
The alternative right or Alt-Right, is growing right wing element, centred in the US. The ‘CEO’ of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is Steve Bannon, a prominent Alt-righter. This gives the movement credence and is arguably the de-facto political ideology of Trump.
For me and many others in Britain, Mental Health is an incredibly personal and important topic. The fact is Mental Health is a subject that most people can say they’ve had some kind of experience with. 1 in 4 people experience Mental Health issues in Britain, so whether it’s someone you know, or something you deal with yourself, it is a topic that most can relate to in some way. It is also something that people tend to shy away from; but they really shouldn’t. Even though at this moment in time Mental Health may be considered somewhat taboo or misunderstood, talking about Mental Health requires frank and open discussion that is conducted in a friendly manner. That is the way to beat the ever present stigma.
Even those most critical of Jeremy Corbyn’s concede that he is winning the battle on selective education, both within the party and in Parliament. At pre-conference PMQs we were presented with an ideological battle between two Grammar School alumni. Jeremy Corbyn - against on the grounds that social segregation is wrong; and Theresa May - in favour on the grounds that her present success is directly attributable to her education.
In the year I was born, a wall signifying the geopolitical divide between two global superpowers collapsed and Margaret Thatcher, the then British Prime minister had cemented a neoliberal consensus that would outlast a generation. That year was 1989 and since then the world has changed beyond recognition, globalisation has brought the world closer together as well as creating huge divisions in wealth and opportunity. Neoliberalism an economic system which was once praised is showing signs of terminal decline.
It is no secret that politics has a women problem. We may have a female Prime Minister but with 29% of Members of Parliament being women, equality has a fair way to go – and the Labour Party is still finding itself behind in this regard too. Much has been written about this, including by me in the last edition of this magazine, but it needs to be spoken about and challenged again and again. To end the Young Fabians’ executive year, and in time for party conference, I therefore wanted to put an issue I feel strongly about front and centre. So this edition of Anticipations is about looking at women in politics and in positions of power leading in their field.
Right now it’s a tough time for politics in the Labour Party, and it’s a tough time for women in politics. Never in my twenty years of Labour Party membership have I seen the kind of abuse and misogyny that our friends and colleagues are experiencing today.
The dismal state of centre-left politics worldwide left me in resigned despair. Charles Dickens inspired me to re-engage. Us Fabians are in dark days and hope is needed.
As a second, Corbyn victory might happen, it is time to consider where the Party goes from here if it does. Having held onto power, Corbyn now needs to find a way to weld the Parliamentary Party he has into an election winning force. In doing so it is important that Corbyn and his inner circle start to recognise the electoral mandates of individual Labour MPs. Labour is not an absolute monarchy, and power in the Parliamentary Party does not rest solely on the Leader’s office. I see only one way of satisfying this need without totally alienating the bulk of his supporters in the Membership. That is the partial reintroduction of Shadow Cabinet elections.
A highlight of the delegation for me was meeting Revolution Messaging, a digital campaigning company which has lived up to its name and been truly revolutionary this campaign season in their incredible work running Bernie Sanders social media campaigning.
In the grand yet homely setting of his living room, Thomas Frank embarked upon a discussion with the delegation about the hold Trump has over his supporters and the factors behind it. After the pleasantry of introductions and talk of his turntable and hiking to London for records, talk turned to Frank’s first book: What’s the matter with Kansas? The argument of the book follows the rise in the working class vote for the Republicans during the 1990s/2000s; the reason for this surge, the cultural backlash against the so-called ‘liberal elite’ who were an affront to American values – with their support for abortion, violence in films and evolutionism.
Rising before the sun the Young Fabian's US delegation set about getting ready for its fifth day. Departing for a breakfast meeting with the Arlington Democrats at Busboys and Poets, a community hub-come-trendy cafe where we experienced what can only be described as one of the most interesting and amusing meetings yet. Over numerous cups of much needed coffee, we found ourselves at a part-CLP meeting, part-social and part-election rally where we heard from delegates from the Democratic National Convention.
Day 4 of the Young Fabian Delegation to the United States started with a key meeting in the heart of the nation's capital: Washington DC. The HRC (Human Rights Campaign) represents the rights of LGBTQ people across America, and their allies. Founded in 1980, the history of the HRC is fascinating.
Anyone who knows me well will know that I love trains, so it was no surprise that I woke up nearly of my own volition on Wednesday to be there nice and early for the Amtrak to Washington DC. After coffee and more bagels, we grabbed our wheelie suitcases and trundled down to the bus stop. $3.50 was well worth the view of Manhattan.