What will the next Labour government look like? The question we’ll try to answer today

In just over fifty days the nation heads to the polls. Soon after Ed Miliband could walk through the front door of 10 Downing Street as Prime Minister.

The odds of a Labour majority government look long at present – losses in Scotland look set to see the party fall short. But a minority Labour government, or a Labour government that can pass legislation on a case by case basis, could still emerge in May.

But what might that Labour government look like? How will it govern? What will it prioritise? And how will it approach a difficult economic climate and a fragile global politics?

Normally by this time in the electoral cycle you’d expect a far greater level of interest in – and scrutiny of – what a Labour government might do in office. And yet this time the obsession with the Commons arithmetic and the opinion polls have (somewhat understandably) dominated the political discussion.

Yet the next Labour government will be markedly different to the last. Spending constraints mean that the party won’t be able to use the Treasury as a means of solving society’s problems (quite the opposite), whilst instead of constantly centralising the state there’s an increased commitment to devolution of not just cash, but power too. Intervention in the market rather than interventions by the state are likely to be this new government’s primary focus for getting things done.

In terms of priorities – youth unemployment, housing and the cost of living will be key. But so will be cutting the deficit.

It’ll be a profoundly different Labour government, with a different set of priorities befitting the time and climate in which we now find ourselves.

These are just some of the issues we will be grappling with today at our LabourList pre-election conference. And for those unable to join us in person, we’ll be covering the what promises to be a fascinating event live this morning on the site – please do join us.