Welcome to the review of our year on Progress
It has been a busy time once more with the continuation of our Campaign for a Labour Majority, including the recent launch of Operation Flight, ongoing Winning With Women work, our usual monthly Progress magazine, and the Progress website itself updated daily with views and comment on Labour and British politics.
Big events this year have included Progress Annual Conference and Progress Political Weekend – but also the inaugural Philip Gould Lecture with Tony Blair, and you can learn more about what happened there below.
We hope you enjoy our selection of some of the highlights from Progress this year.
If you are not yet a member of Progress then sign up here to be the first to receive Progress magazine and receive discounted entry to our events. If you are interested in writing for Progress then please get in touch with us here
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NEWS, EVENTS AND CAMPAIGNS
PROGRESS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Check out the audio from the year’s Progress annual conference here and follow what happened on our Storify
You can also listen again to all our events throughout the year, from all those at Labour party conference (here), Our ‘In Conversation with …’ events with Ed Balls, Tristram Hunt, Rachel Reeves, Jon Cruddas and Chuka Umunna, our Campaign for a Labour Majority events, held with Labour Uncut and the Fabian Society, Usdaw, LFIG, and Labour Friends of Sure Start as well as other events such as Beyond Depair: How can reconnecting with communities revive our politics? with Margaret Hodge, Progress North-west conference, and Third Place First conference in Watford.
PHILIP GOULD LECTURE
This year we held the inaugural Philip Gould Lecture with Tony Blair as speaker. You can read his speech here. Read also Georgia Gould’s opening remarks (here) as well as responses from Hazel Blears, Hopi Sen and Leon Spence here
PROGRESS STRATEGY BOARD ELECTION
This year the election to the Progress strategy board took place. Elected in the members’ section were: Hopi Sen, Jo-Ann Robertson, Joan Ryan and Paul Brant. Elected in the councillors’ section were: Florence Eshalomi, Mandy Telford, Rachel Hodson and Theo Blackwell. Elected in the parliamentarians’ section were: Gloria De Piero MP, Oona King, Peter Mandelson and Phil Wilson MP.
OPERATION FLIGHT
Operation Flight Richard Angell explained Progress’ new campaign to capitalise on the coalition MPs abandoning their seats
Fight or flight Which seats are first-time coalition MPs vacating? Lewis Baston ran through the targets on Operation Flight’s hitlist
‘Make it Mari’ Mari Williams on her campaign to take Cardiff North back for Labour
THREE SEATS CHALLENGE
We continued to put great emphasis on the value of campaigning, with the launch of the Three Seats Challenge, the brainchild of our director Richard Angell. People have even started off their own Challenges, with Progress vice-chair Dan Jarvis leading one in Brighton and Hove.
WINNING WITH WOMEN
We continued our Winning With Women series of work, with the event Winning With Women: Writing for a political audience with Kirsty McNeill, Mary Riddell and Heidi Alexander MP
Labour cannot rest on its laurels Nan Sloane suggested five ways to practically improve equality for women
Equality 2044 Kat Stark argued that Labour must aim to achieve true equality for women by 2044
Why should women be paid less than men for the same job?
asked Sarah Champion MP, as she introduced her equal pay audit bill into parliament
A pledge to distribute power more equally Jacqui Smith urged as many people as possible to sign up to Labour Women’s Network’s PowerPledge. Making the PowerPledge a reality: Progress director Richard Angell signed the organisation up to the pledge
Violence against women is still not being tackled adequately Vera Baird on the Everywoman Safe Everywhere commission
Action stations We need more women in business, wrote Meg Munn MP
Our next Winning With Women event is on 12 January next year: Winning With Women: Writing for the election and beyond. Sign up for your place here
IN PROGRESS MAGAZINE AND ONLINE
BATTLEGROUND BRIEFING
Having profiled the ‘Frontline 40’ seats which Labour needs to win to form a majority in 2013, with PLMR this year we profiled the remaining ‘106 target seats’ in our Battleground Briefing. Check out Lewis Baston’s full rundown of all the seats Labour is seeking to win next May here
PARTY REFORM
The federalisers’ moment Ed Miliband’s plans to reform the state are right but he needs to go further and faster
Putting principles first Ed Miliband’s union reforms should complete John Smith’s unfinished business, argued Alan Johnson
Rage against the machine The Collins reforms are welcome but machine politics may yet strike back, said Robert Philpot
History in the making Stephen Twigg on how the Collins review makes Labour fit for the 21st century
Missed opportunity Richard Angell on what might have been at the National Policy Forum
Nice to feel wanted English marginals need the same attention that has been lavished on Scotland, said Richard Angell
A year ago Progress submitted its response to the Collins review, approved by the Progress strategy board Read>. Our main proposals included:
Labour’s National Executive Committee should increase its number of constituency reps so that every region has a say on Labour’s governing body;
Labour’s NEC should double the number of its councillor members;
Labour should follow Unison’s affiliated fund model;
Labour should proceed with holding a primary for its London mayoral candidate;
Primaries should be triggered in Labour-held seats where membership falls below 200.
THE CAMPAIGN FOR A LABOUR MAJORITY
Writing monthly are the Campaign for a Labour Majority columnists –NEC member Bex Bailey discusses the organisational challenge to win in 2015 (Read>); Lewis Baston reviews changes in the party’s poll position (Read>); while Paul Richards writes his ‘Memo on …’ column, memos to incoming Labour ministers on their portfolio area Read>
PROGRESS EDITORIAL
The 80 per cent strategy What better opponent than Farage against which to unite the country behind a vision of better tomorrows, not better yesterdays?
Past imperfect Until it develops a better account of its past, Labour will continue to be in a muddle about its future
Hard truths Some are now arguing that Labour needs to toughen its line on immigration and Europe in response to the Farage surge. This is a moral and political dead-end for the party
COLUMNS
John McTernan began his Last Word column, getting the most-read articles of the year: ‘Hope dies last’ on legendary journalist Studs Terkel and the politics of hope (Read>), and ‘For fox sake’, his lament for Labour in the aftermath of the Heywood and Middleton by-election Read>
Matt Forde continued to cast his amused eye over the world of politics (Read>); Rich Durber kicked off his column commenting on current political matters (Read>), as did our chair John Woodcock Read>, and former home secretary Jacqui Smith continued her Monday Politics column (Read>). You can check out all of Hopi Sen’s pieces in one place (Read>), Sally Gimson’s regular rundown of what happened at PMQs (Read>), and Mark Rusling’s Changing to Survive column Read>
The Progressive
Lions led by donkeys What we can learn from the miners’ strike 30 years after its start
The zero-base case Growing the cake, not slicing it, needs to be Labour’s priority
Respect due Labour has nothing to say to voters suffering at the hands of antisocial behaviour
Reform Time
Oli de Botton and Matthew Hood kicked off their column on reform in education, focusing on matters such as the continuing levels of underachievement in schools and how London schools could be taken to the next, world-class, level
IMMIGRATION, UKIP AND THE BNP
Hard truths Toughening Labour’s line on immigration and Europe is a moral and political dead-end for the party
The immigration vortex Labour cannot duck the issue of immigration, suggested James Morris
We risk a race to the bottom Labour must not ape the right’s anti-immigration narrative, warned Diane Abbott
Right all along Ukip is set to dominate the European elections. Nick Lowles sifted the evidence on why people vote for it
On Labour’s tail Just how much of a threat does Ukip pose? Lewis Baston examined the data and warns Labour not to ignore its vulnerabilities
Ukip’s shadow politics Nigel Farage will lose when mainstream parties level with the public, argued Anthony Painter
The year the BNP died Matthew Goodwin charted the sharp decline of Nick Griffin’s former party
SCOTLAND
Northern light? Beware the SNP’s false promise of social democracy, argued Gordon Brown
Fight your own campaign Blair McDougall provided some Scottish lessons for the general election and a referendum on Europe
Mercurial men Were Alex Salmond and Nigel Farage political twins, asked Hopi Sen
Harsh realities The referendum campaign exposed Scottish Labour’s many flaws, wrote Willie Sullivan
‘What could actually get worse?’ Richard Angell heard from those Labour in Scotland abandoned
ENGLAND
Made in England As England celebrates its national day this month, Stephen Bush talked to voters about ‘Englishness’ and uncovered a worrying mood
Who do they think they are? Tolerant and fair-minded or obsessed by class and suspicious of foreigners? Peter Kellner unveiled research for Progress on how the English view themselves
The party of England Labour needs to prove it can win a majority in England next May, suggested Patrick Diamond
Speak for England Labour has ignored England for far too long, said Maurice Glasman
Aspiration nation After the Scottish referendum, Labour must now set out its vision for England, wrote Jamie Reed
INTERNATIONAL
Littler England Six months ago, parliament rejected military intervention in Syria. It simply made the situation worse, said James Bloodworth, and it represented the Ukipification of British politics
The price of inaction Iraq soured the nation on liberal interventionism, but Syria shows inaction is not without cost
Confronting evil It is not a case of whether but when we intervene, argued John Woodcock MP
CARTOONS ON PROGRESS
Cartoonist Adrian Teal captured some of the moments of the year for The Insider column, from Rochester and Strood kickboxing candidate Naushabah Khan, to Rachel Reeves taking on George Osborne at chess, and Jon Cruddas stirring the policy review pot
View them all here
LABOUR HISTORY
Summer of ‘94 The birth of New Labour was an electrifying ride into the future, recalled Paul Richards
How New Labour built one nation Labour needs to remember its considerable achievements in power, argued Giles Radice
After the fall Twenty-five years after the Berlin wall came down, James Bloodworth on why New Labour was the natural next chapter for the left
Nick Thomas-Symonds continued his Labour History column, examining the careers of Barbara Castle, Nye Bevan, Leo Abse, Jim Griffiths, Margaret Bondfield, and more
Foundations for victory Twenty years after his death, Hilary Armstrong considered John Smith’s legacy
Pride in Labour Stephen Twigg on how the miners’ strike sowed the seeds of equality legislation
THE PROGRESS INTERVIEW
‘It might be worth listening to me’ Tony Blair’s legacy is hotly contested. He defended it to Robert Philpot and Adam Harrison
Present at the creation Twenty years after Tony Blair’s election as party leader, Peter Mandelson told Robert Philpot and Richard Angell why winning the centre-ground is more important than ever
‘I’m not going to let them off the hook’ As he prepared to respond to the budget, Ed Balls was in a fighting mood, found Robert Philpot and Adam Harrison
‘We need a bold, imaginative offer’ A confident Jon Cruddas told Robert Philpot and Richard Angell it is ‘game time’ for Labour’s policy review
‘We should take the fight to Ukip’ Ukip is vulnerable to Labour attacks, Caroline Flint told Robert Philpot and Adam Harrison
‘Farage is deeply unpatriotic’ Politics has to be about more than wringing one’s hands, Stella Creasy told Robert Philpot and Adam Harrison
‘I have a political argument to win’ Lucy Powell has big ambitions for Labour’s childcare policy, found Robert Philpot and Adam Harrison
‘I’m jarring with my colleagues’ There will be no big spending under Labour, Chris Leslie told Robert Philpot and Adam Harrison
‘The pre-1997 buzz is back’ One way or another a historical truism will be broken next May, Tristram Hunt told Robert Philpot and Adam Harrison
‘A chance, not a grievance’ We need to talk about globalisation, Pat McFadden told Richard Angell and Adam Harrison
Parliamentary candidate for Rochester and Strood Naushabah Khan took on Ukip on their own terms Read>
If Labour will not set about eradicating child poverty, then who will, asked Alan Milburn Read>
Finding one’s voice Jermain Jackman talked to Richard Angell and Ben Dilks about politics and pop
BOOK REVIEWS
The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History Boris Johnson’s biography of Winston Churchill is designed to make the reader draw a parallel between author and subject, found Fiona Twycross AM
Enoch at 100 Make no mistake about it, this is a case for the defence, wrote Reginald Maudling biographer Lewis Baston
Governing Britain: Power, Politics and the Prime Minister Greg Rosen enjoyed an insider’s account of New Labour’s approach to government
Aids: Don’t die of prejudice Parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion Purna Sen reviewed Norman Fowler’s new book
Why Vote Ukip: The Essential Guide Only a postmodernist deconstruction got Jamie Reed through Suzanne Evans’ manifesto for Nigel Farage
The Vagenda Why men should get with it, by Richard Darlington
Prison Diaries Denis MacShane may be one of the few people for whom prison worked, said Francesca Cooney of the Prison Reform Trust
An Unexpected MP: Confessions of a political gossip Paul Richards was underwhelmed by Jerry Hayes’ alcohol-fuelled memoir
Stand and Deliver: A Design for Successful Government Ed Straw is right that renewed faith in effective governance can help lift centre-left fortunes, said Patrick Diamond
Semi-detached Giles Radice reviewed the biography of his Tory parliamentary pair John Biffen
Hard Choices Hillary Rodham Clinton’s memoir about her time as secretary of state left Matthew Doyle wanting more
This Boy Stephen Bush examined the myth of the modern Labour party that Alan Johnson’s memoir pointed to
Special Advisers: Who They Are, What They Do and Why They Matter Claire Reynolds found Ben Yong and Robert Hazell’s account of ‘spads’ a fair but somewhat dry read
Revolt on the Right: Explaining support for the radical right in Britain The definitive work on the rise of Ukip has arrived, said Anthony Painter
PICK OF THE REST
Reality check The local and European elections do not suggest Labour is on course to win the general election, argued Peter Kellner
Labour’s challenge: to win a mandate for change Owen Jones and Philip Collins offered their prescriptions for a victory in 2015
Brave new world New times demand Labour turns away from the social democratic settlement of the postwar world, said Anthony Painter
No sacred cows Labour revisionism takes on both leftwing orthodoxy and the destructive potential of capitalism, wrote Gregg McClymont
Taking on the Tories Gisela Stuart revealed seven steps to electoral success
After Heywood Labour must learn why it has lost so many voters, especially men, argued Deborah Mattinson
High stakes in Tower Hamlets Joshua Peck on why Lutfur Rahman must go
Tales of Tower Hamlets Tom Sleigh reported on what he witnessed on polling day
Poetry or prose? Greg Rosen identified lessons for Ed Miliband from past Labour manifestos
Cyril Smith’s double life Simon Danczuk on confronting a cover-up
A poor excuse The lionising of Venezuela betrays a preference for the idea of ‘socialism’ over actually fighting inequality, wrote James Bloodworth
Solutions, not blame The left needs to rethink its approach to Israel, said Jennifer Gerber
Sally Keeble liveblogged both this year’s budget (Read>) and the autumn statement (Read>)
Nation-building, not Lilliputianism George Osborne’s Lilliputian politics is not up to the task ahead – we need a bigger politics, wrote Jamie Reed following the autumn statement
It’s the assets, stupid Kitty Ussher on how Labour should respond to the budget’s pensions shake-up
Building inclusive capitalism Labour’s lack of support from business figures will hinder its aspirations, suggested Jonathan Todd
Putting rail back on track Public ownership is good politics and policy, said Manuel Cortes
The new ‘gender gap’ Older women remain more sceptical of Labour than younger ones. Liz Kendall urged the party to respond
A bedrock of equality Universal childcare should be Labour’s ultimate goal, argued Lucy Rigby
25 for 25 Shadow minister for childcare Alison McGovern outlined her campaign for 25 hours’ free childcare
Among the Tories Hopi Sen went undercover (well, not quite) to ConservativeHome conference
Letter from Sydney Bruce Hawker searched Lynton Crosby’s past for clues to the Tories’ future electoral strategy
AND FINALLY …
We were sad this year to say goodbye to our longstanding director Robert Philpot. His final piece here and make sure to check out all his articles here
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Thanks to everyone who has been part of an amazing year in the debate about the future of the Labour party and of the country. We look forward to working with you all again in 2015.