Be bold with power and begin a debate with voters about policy

By Kate Groucutt and David Chaplin

At the next general election Labour will need to re-build its broad coalition of support, reconnecting with groups that have drifted away from the centre-left in recent years. Young people form a key part of this coalition and in marginal constituencies across the UK they will play a key part in debating Labour’s legacy since 1997 and its continued platform for power.

With this in mind, two years ago the Young Fabians set out an ambitious project to consult our 1,400 members on what policies they would like to see in the fourth term of a Labour Government. Today the Young Fabians are publishing the outcome of the project; a new pamphlet which calls on the Government to reclaim its progressive agenda in order to win over the next generation of voters.

Our pamphlet, ‘Fast Forward: The Next Generation of Progressive Politics’, challenges the Government to be bold with power and start an honest and open debate with voters about policy. It sets out radical new proposals for the next decade, aimed at influencing both Labour’s next manifesto and the long-term future of the left.

The report brings together the ideas from four policy forums made up of Young Fabian members, a group comprising campaigners, researchers and young professionals in the public and private sectors. Together, they considered ideas in the areas of: economy and prosperity; international and security policy; democracy and communities; and the public realm.

On the economy and the recession, the pamphlet argues that all first year university degree courses should include a compulsory additional module on personal finance to fill the gaps in financial experience which often lead young graduates into debt and financial hardship.

To help restore trust in the political process the pamphlet calls for a new powerful Parliamentary regulator to assess an MP’s performance, and a Citizens’ Convention to debate and formulate ideas for electoral reform.

There are also suggestions for ways to build public respect for the role of public services, particularly the NHS. Plus, a focus on the strategic priorities for UK foreign policy at a time of global uncertainty and change.

Young Fabian members come from all walks of life and have the expertise and ideas to help Labour develop policies which will appeal to the next generation of voters. We hope this pamphlet will contribute to the debate the country needs before the General Election, and will demonstrate that only the left has the solutions to the challenges faced by our country over the next decade.

The pamphlet will be launched at the Young Fabian reception at Labour Party Conference and is available electronically at www.youngfabians.org.uk.