Can Labour and the Liberal Democrats redefine politics to make the 21st Century a progressive century? Can the centre-left find a common cause to tackle the alienation from politics, the globalisation of power, the need to modernise public services and the will to face up to the environmental challenges? Will the centre-left unite to change the voting system and win the case for Britain entering the single currency? Will the centre-left give real priority to family life and the tackling of discrimination against women? These are some of the questions that are tackled in this topical and controversial book, which brings together leading politicians, journalists, academics and thinkers. Contributors include Robin Cook, Menzies Campbell, Lord Ashdown, Harriet Harman, Ruth Kelly, Peter Mandelson, Don MacIntyre, Steve Richards, Anna Coote, Polly Toynbee, Matthew Taylor, Kirsty Milne, Don Foster and Chris Huhne.
'The progressive forces in Britain have so far completely failed to articulate the kind of clear interlocking set of ideas which underpinned that Thatcherite revolution of the 1980's. This book, full of new ideas and new thinking, provides the first serious attempt to make good that deficiency.' - Lord Ashdown
'Winning a second term will be an historic achievement for Labour. But what matters to the people is what we do with that second term and beyond. This book provides a valuable starting point in getting that right.' - Patricia Hewitt MP
'This book will make all of us on the centre-left think hard about how we can forge strong progressive politics for Britain. New ideas are at the heart of this and policies to promote choice for families are rightly given prominence in the new politics that The Progressive Century promotes.' - Ruth Kelly MP
'All credit to the editors, Neal Lawson and Neil Sherlock, for this enterprising and useful book...full of thought-provoking essays.' - Stephen Pollard, New Statesman
Foreword by Roy Jenkins
Introduction: The Progressive Century: Ours to Make; N.Lawson & N.Sherlock
PART I: THE CASE AND THE PROSPECTS FOR PROGRESSIVE POLITICS
Liberalism and Social Democracy; T.Wright
The Threat of the Right; S.Twigg & A.Pakes
Do Two Tribes Have to War?; D.MacIntyre
Blair's Progressive Paradox; S.Richards
Is There a Progressive Electorate?; D.Cowling
PART II: GIVING GOVERNMENT LEGITIMACY: NEW STRUCTURES AND CULTURE FOR A NEW CENTURY
The Second Wave of Constitutional Reform; P.Giddy
The Sociological Foundations of Pluralist Politics; M.Rustin
Politics with a Purpose: Reforming the House of Commons; P.Riddell & G.Power
A Third Sector as Well as a Third Way; O.Grender & K.Parminter
Scotland: An Experiment in New Politics; K.Milne
Progressive Councils: The Case for Collaborative Local Politics; D.Sullivan & A.Stevens
PART III: THE ISSUES FOR THE NEW CENTURY
Progressive Economics: Trust the People; C.Huhne
The Globalisation of Power; Lord Ashdown
Socialising Markets; P.Collins
Making Society Just; D.Foster
Sustaining Development; R.Levett
Feminism Finds a Foothold in the Centre-Left; H.Harman
Family Policy: Opening Up Choice; R.Kelly
More Health, Less Service; A.Coote
Europe and the New Politics; R.Cook & M.Campbell
PART IV: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION - Will Hutton, Polly Toynbee, Mark Oaten, Matthew Taylor, Ruth Lister, Philip Dodd, Calum Macdonald & David Marquand
Endpiece by Peter Mandelson
Index
NEAL LAWSON is Managing Editor of the Labour journal Renewal. He is a former researcher for the TGWU and for Gordon Brown. He is a member of the management committee of Making Votes Count, and is a council member of Charter 88.
NEIL SHERLOCK is a former President of the Oxford Union Society, he was an adviser to Lord Ashdown and is part of Charles Kennedy's speech-writing team. In 1992 and 1997 he was the Liberal Democrat candidate in South West Surrey.
Description
Can Labour and the Liberal Democrats redefine politics to make the 21st Century a progressive century? Can the centre-left find a common cause to tackle the alienation from politics, the globalisation of power, the need to modernise public services and the will to face up to the environmental challenges? Will the centre-left unite to change the voting system and win the case for Britain entering the single currency? Will the centre-left give real priority to family life and the tackling of discrimination against women? These are some of the questions that are tackled in this topical and controversial book, which brings together leading politicians, journalists, academics and thinkers. Contributors include Robin Cook, Menzies Campbell, Lord Ashdown, Harriet Harman, Ruth Kelly, Peter Mandelson, Don MacIntyre, Steve Richards, Anna Coote, Polly Toynbee, Matthew Taylor, Kirsty Milne, Don Foster and Chris Huhne.
Reviews
'The progressive forces in Britain have so far completely failed to articulate the kind of clear interlocking set of ideas which underpinned that Thatcherite revolution of the 1980's. This book, full of new ideas and new thinking, provides the first serious attempt to make good that deficiency.' - Lord Ashdown
'Winning a second term will be an historic achievement for Labour. But what matters to the people is what we do with that second term and beyond. This book provides a valuable starting point in getting that right.' - Patricia Hewitt MP
'This book will make all of us on the centre-left think hard about how we can forge strong progressive politics for Britain. New ideas are at the heart of this and policies to promote choice for families are rightly given prominence in the new politics that The Progressive Century promotes.' - Ruth Kelly MP
'All credit to the editors, Neal Lawson and Neil Sherlock, for this enterprising and useful book...full of thought-provoking essays.' - Stephen Pollard, New Statesman
Contents
Foreword by Roy Jenkins
Introduction: The Progressive Century: Ours to Make; N.Lawson & N.Sherlock
PART I: THE CASE AND THE PROSPECTS FOR PROGRESSIVE POLITICS
Liberalism and Social Democracy; T.Wright
The Threat of the Right; S.Twigg & A.Pakes
Do Two Tribes Have to War?; D.MacIntyre
Blair's Progressive Paradox; S.Richards
Is There a Progressive Electorate?; D.Cowling
PART II: GIVING GOVERNMENT LEGITIMACY: NEW STRUCTURES AND CULTURE FOR A NEW CENTURY
The Second Wave of Constitutional Reform; P.Giddy
The Sociological Foundations of Pluralist Politics; M.Rustin
Politics with a Purpose: Reforming the House of Commons; P.Riddell & G.Power
A Third Sector as Well as a Third Way; O.Grender & K.Parminter
Scotland: An Experiment in New Politics; K.Milne
Progressive Councils: The Case for Collaborative Local Politics; D.Sullivan & A.Stevens
PART III: THE ISSUES FOR THE NEW CENTURY
Progressive Economics: Trust the People; C.Huhne
The Globalisation of Power; Lord Ashdown
Socialising Markets; P.Collins
Making Society Just; D.Foster
Sustaining Development; R.Levett
Feminism Finds a Foothold in the Centre-Left; H.Harman
Family Policy: Opening Up Choice; R.Kelly
More Health, Less Service; A.Coote
Europe and the New Politics; R.Cook & M.Campbell
PART IV: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION - Will Hutton, Polly Toynbee, Mark Oaten, Matthew Taylor, Ruth Lister, Philip Dodd, Calum Macdonald & David Marquand
Endpiece by Peter Mandelson
Index
Authors
NEAL LAWSON is Managing Editor of the Labour journal Renewal. He is a former researcher for the TGWU and for Gordon Brown. He is a member of the management committee of Making Votes Count, and is a council member of Charter 88.
NEIL SHERLOCK is a former President of the Oxford Union Society, he was an adviser to Lord Ashdown and is part of Charles Kennedy's speech-writing team. In 1992 and 1997 he was the Liberal Democrat candidate in South West Surrey.
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