The Public Realm forum looked at the role of public services in improving opportunities and life chances. Responding to the ideas expressed in Ed Miliband’s Fabian New Year speech it tried to answer the question ‘what kind of society do we want to create?’ and considering how public services can help us achieve it.  

Chaired by Conor McGinn
Conor is a Labour activist and blogger. He is a former Chair of the Young Fabians and Vice-Chair of Young Labour, and is currently the Vice-Chair of the Labour Party Irish Society.

He manages the UK office of the Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas, an organisation that works with prisoners and their families across the world. He previously worked as a health policy adviser to a national charity, a development officer for a mental health provider and a researcher for a Labour MP. He has written for several publications including Progress, Tribune and the Tablet.

He is originally from South Armagh and now lives in Newington Green, Islington, where he was a local election candidate in 2006.