Issues for discussion included: 

• What is a good family? And what's the role for government in encouraging them?  
• Can welfare be cut and improved at the same time? How can the welfare system avoid the poverty trap?  
• How is the world of work changing? What is the ideal workplace? What is the role for unions in shaping them?  
• Why is pay so unequal? Should we care? And how can government make British employers pay fair and play fair? 
• How can we make housing policy fair?

PAST EVENTS

• Read again the Online webchat from 7th Sep  – Michael Weatherburn talked about the history of "management" – the emergence of management as a distinct profession in inter-war and wartime Britain, and the way this affected workplace dynamics. Michael is currently researching how organisations like the Fabian Society absorbed these new techniques. 

• 6 July 2010 - The Work and Families PDG met for the first time and heard from Professor Andy Westwood on ‘The Future of the Labour Market: demographics, skills, welfare and regulation’. They also met on 20th July to hear guest speaker, Rt Hon John Healey MP talking about fairness and housing policy before holding a round table discussion.
• 20 July 2010
• 12 August 2010 - Wide ranging discussion across the breadth of the Work and Families agenda.
• 7th September - Replay online meeting here with Michael Weatherburn
• 9th September - Welfare and Benefits with John McTernan (Tony Blair's former political secretary).
• 15th September 2010 -  Kate Green MP spoke on "Families - where next for Labour?".  Kate Green is the Labour MP for Stretford and Urmston. Before Kate's election in 2010, she was chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, and before that she was director of the National Council for One Parent Families (now Gingerbread). She also served as a magistrate for 16 years. Kate has lots of experience of government, and national policy, having worked in the civil service for two years. She was also a member of the National Employment Panel which advised Ministers on labour market policies, and chaired the London Child Poverty Commission, reporting to the Mayor and local councillors. 
  

Links and discussion papers discussed at previous meetings: