Rolling coverage from the Fabian Society conference in London, including Jeremy Corbyn’s keynote speech
Jeremy Corbyn’s speech and Fabian conference - Summary and analysis
2.41pm GMT
Here are the main points from the Fabian conference so far.
In a speech on January 8th [May] argued that the Brexit vote was about much more than EU membership: it was a rejection of “laissez-faire liberalism”. Mr Hammond recognises no such crux: “Where’s the evidence for the assertion that the Brexit vote was saying something about this or that or the other? It was saying something about Britain’s membership of the European Union.”
You’re quite right. There are small businesses, small shops and others, that would initially struggle to pay the kind of living wage that we would all want in this room. We’re committed to the TUC figure of £10. So I think there has to be a combination of measures to get you into that position, one of which would be to reduce the levels of business rates and taxation on small enterprises and small businesses. But also use public procurement as a leverage towards it. So we are talking to the CBI, the Federation of Small Business and others about this.
Anyone who wants to stop progressive politics dying needs to actively support real democracy and proportional representation and the best route to that is through a progressive agreement of some sort. I know that any sort of progressive pact is not an easy concept for any of us, especially for people like you and me who spend hours banging on doors for a party that we all really believe in. But my plea to people in this room is actually quite simple. Let’s at least explore whether some form of joint working might better deliver us a progressive government in 2020 ...
When it happens, when we find agreement, when we work together, there can be seismic change. Just think back to 1997 when Martin Bell stood against Neil Hamilton in Tatton, a rock-solid safe Tory seat where Neil Hamilton had won 55% of the vote and the other parties withdrew. Martin Bell stood there and overturned that rock-solid majority, and overturned it very significantly. It’s not just marginal seats we could win. We could kick out safe Tory seats. We could have seismic change in this country if we were prepared to put aside our differences, maybe have open primaries, maybe stand aside for one another, maybe involve the community in selecting those candidates.
We have a system whereby the local party decides.
1.30pm GMT
Richard Angell, director of Progress, a group on the right of the party seen as Blairite, is speaking in the “uncertain times” session. Earlier he tweeted these about Jeremy Corbyn’s speech.
Everyone in Labour agrees the system is unfair, that racism is wrong but @jeremycorbyn must set out solutions not slogans #Fab17
Right of @jeremycorbyn to celebrate the brilliant work of Lab councils. Hope he tells Momentum to stop trying to deselect councillors #Fab17
Pleas from @jon_bartley at #Fab17 for 'progressive alliance' but this week he called on ppl to leave Lab for Greens https://t.co/QN7CF5ISJb
1.23pm GMT
I’ve now nipped into the “uncertain times” session, addressing the question “Is Labour prepared for 2017”.
Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, is on the panel.
We have to be prepared for 2017, we have no choice, we're a party in the business of changing people's lives - @JonAshworth #Fab17
If we show we have sensible considered answers to current trends we have a good chance whenever the next election is - @JonAshworth #Fab17
@JonAshworth PM may have no position on #Brexit, but that does not mean Labour doesn't need one. We're the official opposition! #Fab17
1.02pm GMT
Here is the full text of Jeremy Corbyn’s speech.
1.01pm GMT
The Labour MP Rushanara Ali is speaking now in the “metropolitan elite” session. She says Labour sometimes makes the mistake of appearing to take certain voters for granted, like working class voters and ethnic minority voters.
Even in the inner cities Labour can lose if it appears to take people for granted. She says she represents a seat, Bethnal Green and Bow, which was Labour for decades but which Labour lost to George Galloway’s Respect.
12.44pm GMT
There are now various break-out sessions taking place. I’ve come to the “metropolitan elite” one, addressing the question “Is Labour for the inner cities?”
Maria Eagle, the former shadow culture secretary, is speaking. She says, if Labour wants to form a government, it has to win seats in rural and suburban areas.
12.30pm GMT
Labour’s Stella Creasy asks how many people in the audience watched the President Obama/Joe Biden “bromance” video clips. “That is what an echo chamber looks like,” she says.
She repeats the point about how quickly the world is changing. We need to prepare for a world in which people have seven jobs over the course of their career, two of which haven’t even been invented yet, she says.
12.26pm GMT
Jonathan Bartley says Labour and other progressive parties could take “rock-solid Tory seats” if they were willing to form an electoral pact.
Members of the audience ask why the Greens are not standing aside in Copeland. Stella Creasy, the Labour MP, also challenges Bartley on this.
12.18pm GMT
Here is Tim Farron, the Lib Dem leader, responding to Jeremy Corbyn’s speech.
Again Labour have failed to make a commitment to fight to stay in the single market. They have failed to represent the views of the millions who voted to stay in Europe and instead opted to fall in line behind the Conservative Brexit government.
12.12pm GMT
Christian Wolmar, Labour’s candidate in the Richmond Park byelection, has been tweting about his question to Jeremy Corbyn. (See 11.11am and 11.18am.)
I asked Jeremy Corbyn why he is so keen on Brexit when 65% of our supporters voted Remain. Answer came there none #fab17
12.07pm GMT
Jonathan Bartley, the Green co-leader, says he got into Green politics after confronting David Cameron during the 2010 general election. He was taking his child to a hospital appointment in a wheelchair. A Tory aide saw the wheelchair and asked if Cameron could pose for a picture beside Bartley’s child. Bartley agreed, and then challenged Cameron over inclusive education. The subject dominated the news for a day.
12.04pm GMT
They are taking questions now. The Institute of Ideas’ Claire Fox says she backed Brexit, for the reasons first set out by Tony Benn. She asks the audience to consider that perhaps they might be wrong about the EU. Her argument does not go down well at all. There is a lot of shouting from the audience, with people replying “no” and “rubbish”.
12.02pm GMT
Here is some reaction to the Jeremy Corbyn speech from political journalists and commentators.
From the Sun’s Steve Hawkes
If Jeremy Corbyn turned down the 80s rhetoric he could be a tiny bit effective. Loads of people are upset with the NHS, railways, energy
Rather than backing Aslef and talking nationalisation Jeremy Corbyn should try and rally voters behind what's not working - would be a start
Undeniable yet polite tension between @thefabians and @jeremycorbyn whose last report canned his leadership. Audience pretty quiet.
So far this speech as been a litany of pre announced policies and skirting over his views on immigration &pay cap @jeremycorbyn at #Fab17
This is the sharpest speech I've seen Corbyn give. Message much more tightly honed than previously #Fab17
That speech represented utterly irrelevant Corbyn, rather than bat-sh**t crazy Corbyn. An improvement. Almost Millibandesque in places.
The one practical outcome of Corbyn's speech. He told the Fabians they should have next year's conference outside London. So they will.
Big emphasis and repetition of a 'rigged system' in Corbyn's speech today, with just the slighted hint of a Trump anti-establishment vibe. pic.twitter.com/IP6NKVvsPL
The problem with Corbyn the Populist, by @GoodwinMJ (thanks for the citation) https://t.co/Ip1bJlgwj2 pic.twitter.com/Ph8K4uQhsI
12.01pm GMT
Paul Mason, the Guardian column, says Brexit has unleashed “a torrent of darkness”. He has had to stop his mother reading what is on his Twitter timeline because it is so vile; for example, people saying there are too many black people in A&E.
He says, if you want an alliance with the Lib Dems, you must understand who they are. They are “Tory-lite”. They want to stay in the EU because they like TTIP, he says.
11.51am GMT
Claire Fox, director of the Institute of Ideas, says the left are mistaken if they think people voted for Brexit because they were too stupid to see that the leave campaign was lying. It is a mistake for the left to sneer at populism, she says. Progressives should make an effort to understand identity politics, she says.
She says, sadly, it is people on the left who currently assume that “the demos” are not capable of taking decisions for themselves.
11.45am GMT
Jonathan Bartley, the Green party co-leader, says it was good to hear Corbyn talk about listening to primary school. Maybe he watched the Green party political broadcast.
He says progressive politics is not deal. The Green’s membership is more than four times as big as it was five years ago.
11.37am GMT
There is now a plenary session in the main hall with the title, “Future Left: Is progressive politics dead?”
The panel members are: Labour MP Stella Creasy, Jonathan Bartley, the Green party co-leader, Paul Mason, the Guardian columnist (standing in for Owen Jones, who cannot be here), Claire Fox, director of the Institute of Ideas and Andrew Harrop.
11.21am GMT
Q: How will we restore the links between the voluntary sector and privatised public services?
Corbyn says he is worried about good quality services being undercut by private providers paying low wages.
11.20am GMT
Q: What are your views on the Bank of England’s impact on house prices.
Corbyn says people have a view that property is there for investment. But homes are for living in. We should invest in building homes, he says. And stop councils being forced to sell off good quality homes.
11.18am GMT
Q: Do you think people like Peter Shore were right saying joining the EEC was a mistake?
Q: Since 65% of Labour supporters backed remain, why are you so keen to take us out of the EU. [This question gets a strong round of applause.]
11.14am GMT
Q: I work for a small business, and it can only afford to pay me the minimum wage. How does Labour reconcile the need to help companies like this one with the need to increase the minimum wage?
Corbyn says this is a good point. Some shops and businesses would struggle to pay the minimum wage Labour wants, £10. So there are things you could do. One would be to reduce business rates. Another would be to use public procurement rules.
11.11am GMT
Corbyn is now taking questions.
Six people ask questions before Corbyn starts to reply.
.@christianwolmar (Richmond candidate) ends rapprochement with @jeremycorbyn asking him why he wants to take UK out of EU markets #Fab17
11.07am GMT
Corbyn ends with his announcement about social care.
Related: Jeremy Corbyn vows to take failed care homes into public ownership
11.05am GMT
Corbyn turns to the NHS.
Jeremy Hunt says there are problems at “one or two hospitals” … the prime minister says there have been “a small number of incidents”.
Contrast that with what the professionals say:
11.02am GMT
Corbyn says Labour is committed to bringing the railways into public ownership.
That’s not ideological … it’s straightforwardly logical.
When Labour took the East Coast line into public ownership, over six years it delivered a better service, improved passenger satisfaction … and gave £1 billion in profit back to the taxpayer!
The next Labour Government will give people a fair chance … by putting decent, affordable homes at the heart of our programme for the country.
We’ll build thousands more genuinely affordable homes to rent and buy … give renters a new charter of rights … end rough sleeping … and help young people on ordinary incomes to buy a home of their own.
11.00am GMT
Corbyn turns to pay, one of the subjects of his big speech on Tuesday. (There is a summary of his proposals here.)
As I highlighted earlier this week … the average pay of a FTSE 100 chief executive has rocketed to £5 million … more than 130 times more than the average UK worker.
That’s not only grossly unfair … it also underlines a serious economic problem.
10.58am GMT
Corbyn says business leaders increasingly support some of Labour’s ideas.
Many businesspeople and entrepreneurs are increasingly realising … that Labour has something to say to them as well … that the rigged system and a government that stands by … is letting them down too.
The CBI has continually warned against the cliff edge of a chaotic Brexit … Sadly, the government’s Brexiteers seem to be following the advice of lemmings.
10.56am GMT
Corbyn says he is hosting a summit of European socialist leaders shortly. And he has invited the director general of the CBI, Carolyn Fairbairn, to attend too, he says. He says she’s coming.
10.55am GMT
Labour wants more devolution, he says.
My colleague Jon Trickett – a proud Yorkshireman if ever there was one – talked yesterday about the need for more powers for the North of England … We both believe that a people’s convention on how a federal Britain could work is something that is overdue.
Hopefully the Fabians will be a trailblazer for this devolution revolution … by holding its next New Year’s Conference somewhere outside North London.
10.54am GMT
Corbyn says Labour councils are in the vanguard of innovation.
From the 19th century onwards, local authorities pioneered welfare provision to reduce poverty. …They rid their towns of slum housing, built new homes, parks, hospitals, museums and libraries, swimming pools and playing fields … They reduced inequality and improved the lives of many.
In the face of a government that cuts and neglects … Labour councils today are finding that pioneering spirit once again.
10.52am GMT
Corbyn turns to immigration.
But just as no community should be left behind … no community should be scapegoated either … The shocking rise in racist attacks post-Brexit shames us all.
As politicians we have a responsibility to cool our language … Words have consequences and the language used by some in the referendum campaign gave a green light to hatred.
10.51am GMT
Corbyn sets out Labour’s Brexit demands.
Labour will push to maintain full access to the European single market … to protect living standards and jobs.
But we will also press to repatriate powers from Brussels … for the British government to develop a genuine industrial and regional strategy … essentialto invest in our economy so that no community is left behind.
10.49am GMT
Corbyn turns to regional inequalities.
Tory misrule has not only created a postcode lottery in health … but in jobs and economic prosperity as well.
Since 2010, only 2% of new jobs have been created in the North East.
10.47am GMT
Corbyn turns to the lessons to be learnt from Brexit.
So is it really a surprise … that when people were offered the chance to ‘make their country great again’ … or to ‘take back control’ … that many voted for it?
For some, it was their first chance to exercise a bit of real power … and say what they thought about asystem stacked against them.
10.46am GMT
Corbyn mocks one of David Cameron’s slogan.
The Conservatives promised to fix the roof while the sun was shining.
… Instead they’ve carried on fixing the system for an elite few at the top and ignoring the needs of the roof.
10.44am GMT
Corbyn criticises the government for cutting tax for the “super rich” while not giving more money to the NHS.
Right now, they’ve rigged the rules to suit themselves … The super-rich few have benefited from tax break after tax break under this government.
Cuts to capital gains tax … to inheritance tax … ditching the 50p rate … slashing corporation tax … reducing the levy on the banks.
10.43am GMT
Corbyn says Labour would do things differently.
Labour under my leadership stands for a complete break with this rigged system.
… We will hand back wealth and control to people and communities.
10.42am GMT
Corbyn says what he is about to say next might anger the Daily Telegraph. And Chris Grayling, the transport secretary. But he is going to say it anyway.
I would rather stand on a picket line for a safely staffed railway … than stand with the fat cat rail bosses … charging rail passengers an arm and a leg … the most expensive fares in Europe for a second rate service.
10.41am GMT
Corbyn goes into more detail about how the system is “rigged” against ordinary people.
We are not a poor country … together we create immense wealth … but the rules of today’s race-to-the-bottom jobs market rig the system for the few … while millions of the rest of us carry the can.
None of that delivers a good deal for consumers either … because those same workers get fleeced as consumers too … simply for wanting a home or trying to get to work.
10.40am GMT
Corbyn turns to working conditions for the young.
For a generation of young people … job security means nothing … it’s a relic of a distant age … They work through a temp agency … or on a zero hours contract … not knowing whether they’re working from one day to the next … or what they’re earning from one week to the next.
The stress, insecurity and misery this brings with it … who benefits exactly? … Only those employers who can squeeze a bit more profit out of workers with fewer hours … lower pay and fewer rights.
10.39am GMT
Corbyn starts now with the passage I quoted earlier about wanting “a complete break with this rigged system”. (See 8.46am.)
10.38am GMT
Corbyn starts by saying the Fabians backed a minimum wage in 1906. The Labour government eventually introduced it at the end of the century, he says. So Fabian gradualism can work.
10.36am GMT
Jeremy Corbyn is coming onto the stage now. He gets a warm round of applause.
10.35am GMT
Ernst Stetter, secretary general of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies, is speaking now. He says it is “inconceivable” that EU leaders would let the UK stay in the single market without accepting free movement of people.
He says the European project has been a joint enterprise. He says it has brought many progressive benefits to Europe, not least securing peace.
10.28am GMT
Kate Green, the Labour MP and Fabian Society chair, is speaking now.
She says the Fabians celebrated their 133rd birthday recently.
10.24am GMT
Harrop says the Fabians have today published a report setting out the progressive principles that should apply to the Brexit negotiations. It identifies six. Here they are.
PRINCIPLE ONE: Retain the benefits of the Single Market and commit to a transitional arrangement
PRINCIPLE TWO: Reform free movement while making the positive case for migration
10.20am GMT
Andrew Harrop, the Fabian Society general secretary, is opening the conference.
He lists the many things that have changed since last year’s Fabian Society new year conference.
10.14am GMT
Since we’re on the subject of social care (see 8.46am), it is worth flagging up what Sarah Wollaston, the Conservative MP and former GP who chairs the Commons home affairs committee, is saying on the subject in an interview in the Times today (paywall).
Like Jeremy Corbyn, she wants to improve funding for social care. But she is also proposing how it could be done. This is what she told the Times.
Already, she warns, care blackspots are developing in parts of the country — including her constituency of Totnes — because providers cannot afford to maintain a service with the money they receive from the local authority. “These packages are now underfunded. More and more people can’t get care at all in some rural areas.” Many care homes are already teetering financially. “If you are a nursing home and you are providing care for people with very complex needs such as dementia, the costs are much greater but the increase in the reimbursement doesn’t meet the extra cost. It’s not a social care pound or health pound, it should be a patient pound and taxpayer pound.”
There is, in her view, a fundamental unfairness that those with conditions requiring social care such as Alzheimer’s have to pay while other illnesses including cancer are fully funded by the state. “At the moment who pays is a lottery, one in ten end up losing everything. If you are worried your house is going to catch fire, you don’t save up for it catching fire but you buy insurance.”
10.05am GMT
Here we are.
#Fab17 is about to begin! Intros by @andrew_harrop, @KateGreenSU & @ernststetter. Keynote by Labour leader @jeremycorbyn pic.twitter.com/bHivZ5tP4E
10.01am GMT
The Fabian Conference is at Friends House, a large venue owned by the Quakers opposite Euston station in London. The main events are taking place in a room called The Light and that’s where I am now. There are probably around 300 people here and the room is still filling up.
I’m told they are running a bit late, and Jeremy Corbyn is not expected to start his speech until about 10.30am.
8.46am GMT
This week Jeremy Corbyn has engaged in something of a relaunch. Any speech in January given by a leader who is behind in the polls tends to be described as a “relaunch”, but in this case there is a deliberate attempt to recalibrate the way he presents himself, best explained in this Politico Europe article. Essentially Corbyn plans to stir things up a bit more, stressing his credentials as an anti-establishment insurgent.
Newspapers love relaunch stories because they always pave the way for the follow-up, “Relaunch flops”, and Corbyn’s week hasn’t been universally acclaimed as a success. In some accounts he has been strongly criticised for muddling his message on free movement and maximum pay caps. But other assessments, like this one and this one, have been more positive. At least the media have been talking about Labour and its policies to curb excessive pay.
Related: Jeremy Corbyn vows to take failed care homes into public ownership
Last year’s global political earthquake didn’t just come out of the blue.
There are many of us who had felt the tremors growing for years.
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