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No money left

January 11, 2012 6:13 pm

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Over the last week, we’ve posted a series on articles taking at look at what Labour’s about “When there’s no money left” (or WTNML for short). As I wrote before Christmas:

“In addition to thinking beyond narrow alleyways of thinking on spending and the state, we’ll also need to think beyond narrow areas in which and means by which the state can operate. We think that these kind of changes in society are not only possible, but necessary, and must form part of Labour’s next manifesto…We can’t wait until the next election to develop these ideas – we need to start now, shape the debate, and make such ideas as mainstream as the minimum wage.”

Now it’s time for you to tell us what you think of the top four proposals. Those proposals are:

- Publish all income tax details

- Encourage more people to join trade unions

- Carbon Intensity scores for energy producers

- A progressive constitution

Voting is open for the next twenty four hours, and we’ll be announcing the winner tomorrow evening. That winner will be proposing their idea for what Labour should be about “when there’s no money left” at the Fabian Society conference. There are only 30 tickets left (at the time of writing), but there are still afternoon tickets available (when you can see the Dragon’s Den).

But as we’re a generous bunch, if you vote for your favourite policy idea in our survey then you’ll have a chance of winning a pair of free tickets for Saturday’s conference.

Vote now for your chance to win, and to help keep Labour setting the agenda in the Labour Party

I hope to see some of you at Saturday’s conference

Related posts:

  1. What does Labour stand for when “there’s no money left”?
  2. What does Labour stand for when “there’s no money left”? – Update
  3. It’s all about the money, money, money
  4. Next Left: Join the Fabians on Saturday for the first post-election conference
  5. Turn Left: A Review of the Open Left launch
  • Anonymous

    Sorry but all those ideas are terrible. How about this as a starting point instead?: http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/gavin-kelly/2012/01/labour-tax-spending-deficit

  • Anonymous

    How do any of these things improve my life, they just intrude more into others privacy.
    Is this really all the left has?

  • Anonymous

    Mark

    I know you have worked through this process very thoroughly, but these are the kind of small-scale, non-game-changing ideas you have criticised Ed for recently. This is the stuff of political nerds with no impact on the core vote.

    And for goodness sake, where is Labour’s commitment to the NHS? Here’s a simple WTNML commitment:

    Labour committ to reverse the Coalition’s plan to allow your local hospital to raise 49% of its revenues treating private patients, instead of the the 2% allowed today.

    Have we completely given up on the NHS? It seems like it.

  • Chris Cook

    Good grief, Mark.

    If  those are the top four, what are the rest like?

    There appears to be a form of policy paralysis here: Labour is like a rabbit in the Coalition’s headlights.

  • Daniel Speight

    Mark I hate to join the pool of criticism but this is rather disappointing. I suspect it does place the Fabian Society exactly where it’s at right now. I’m trying to think of something good to say, but I can’t.

  • Anonymous

    It’s going to be a long hard few years I think,

    • Anonymous


      It’s going to be a long hard few years I think,

      few?

  • Anonymous

    Not Labour’s fault, but last week the Sports Minister announced it would “NOT be an austerity Olympics”.

    Despite the fact that Cameron has constantly wittered on about “the age of austerity” and last night, despite votes against the Coalition’s welfare cuts, the government has signalled they will press ahead regardless, i.e. people undergoing painful and exhausting chemotherapy for cancer will still have limits placed on their ESA.

    What Labour needs to concentrate on is the appalling waste of money that the Coalition persist with. Yes, it might appear that to do so would label you killjoys, but can there be any justification for wasting money on some here-today-gone-tomorrow gala where many very wealthy individuals will be given free tickets.

    The Conservatives go on about their financial “prudence”. The Olypics nonsense is just one example of their hypocrisy.
    My policy for Labour would be to stop dreaming that Blairism is due for a revival. The party might get it’s way, but that is not to say the public will buy it. After all they didn’t buy Hague, or Howard.

    • Anonymous


      The Olypics nonsense is just one example of their hypocrisy.

      As about 95% of the spend has already happened.. and 100% of it was approved by a Labour Government .. your comment can be seen as for what it : political muppetry.

      • Anonymous

        Had the current government wished to they could have scaled back on some of the opulence, and while we are at it they could also give a firm no to the proposed railway -£32 billion just to get to Birmingham 30 minutes quicker?

        I am sure even the most pompous self important businessman will not be lying on his deathbed satying “I wished I had saved 30 minutes on my trip to New Street”.

        Don’t worry, I didn’t approve of the Olympics nonsense when it became Blair’s 2006 vanity project – too much money was poured down to the drain, and that sadly can’t be helped, but the current government could ensure belts were tightend a bit

  • JC

    How about simplifying the tax code so that tax avoidance and planning can be reduced (preferably to nothing) and hitting the evaders (black economy and straightforward liars) hard so that all tax is collected. I don’t mean the legal disputes here, this has arisen because of the complexity of the system.

    • Anonymous

      How about simplifying the tax code so that tax avoidance and planning can be reduced (preferably to nothing)
      Hmm.. I presume you know the difference between evasion and avoidance?

      On the basis that you do, then  you can only remove tax avoidance by removing all – I repeat ALL – tax allowances.

      Which is bound to have some very nasty effects but as you want it .. then …that’s your problem.

      (incidentally that means ALL Personal Allowances vanish so you start paying income tax when you earn over £1. In a year.

      That will be highly popular with the low paid.

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