In the essays, Diane Abbott argues that, without ideology, the Labour front bench would be in danger of becoming "freelance management consultants", Ed Balls says that 2010 voters thought Labour no longer "championed a fair society", Andy Burnham admits that "we seemed dazzled by power, glamour and big business", David Miliband argues that despite Osborne's "masochism", Labour mustn't deny "economic reality", and, according to Ed Miliband, "old-fashioned New Labour is now an obstacle to winning next election".

You can read the full collection of essays online here.

He goes on to argue, "Five million votes were lost by Labour between 1997 and 2010, but four out of the five million didn’t go to the Conservatives. One third went to the Liberal Democrats, and most of the rest simply stopped voting. It wasn’t, in the main, the most affluent, professional voters that deserted Labour either... You really don’t need to be a Bennite to believe that this represents a crisis of working-class representation for Labour – and our electability."

Read Ed Miliband's Fabian Essay here and read report in today's Guardian here.

"An absence of a shared creed, of an ideology that can unite our movement, is a problem for Labour. In the good times it matters less... but when historic choices need to be made it is a weakness... Voters – many of them our voters – spent the election wondering whose side we were really on."

He argues that Labour needs its "own story of political economy that embraces neither the masochism of George Osborne nor the denial of economic reality."

Read David Miliband's Fabian Essay here.

"We seemed dazzled by power, glamour and big business," writes Burnham. "There is a fine line between celebrating success and courting elites and to many people we crossed it. Unlike some others in the upper echelons of the Party, I do have a problem with people being filthy rich. This isn’t based on some working class knee-jerk reaction. It comes back to that sense of fairness, and the contrast between my constituency and George Osborne’s."

You can read Andy Burnham's essay here.

"By 2010 the clear message from the electorate was that, while people still supported our values, they thought we were unclear about them, that we were sometimes out of touch and that we no longer championed a fair society... It was also a failure of communication and courage. In the desire to be credible - in the eyes of some in the press - the Government lost its radical edge."

You can read Ed Balls's essay here.

"Without ideology, shadow ministers run the risk of being just a bunch of freelance management consultants. It is unsurprising that in the closing months of the New Labour administration some former government ministers jumped ship the better to amass directorships. In the absence of ideology, management is all the same, whether you are doing it in government or in the private sector. If you do not believe in anything, there is no question of sticking with your party to rebuild it in opposition."

You can read Diane Abbott's Fabian essay here.

5 August  - Sunder Katwala, Fabian Society General Secretary guests on the BBC Radio 4 'Today

Listen to Sunder On the 'BBC Today Programme'.   

Fabian Society responds to the article "Labour to

oppose vote reform bill" (28 July) in a letter to the Guardian.

Read Sunder’s letter- Voting reform and vested interest.   

14 July  - The Guardian considers Pat McFadden’s

speech to the Fabian Society, ‘Neither Thatcherism

Nor Denial’ to ask; Can manufacturing fill Britain's economic vacuum?

Guardian coverage of Pat McFadden's Speech to the Fabian Society.

9 July - Lord Kinnock delivers a galvanising speech at

the Fabian Society Summer Reception. 

See the Fabian Society Summer Reception pictures. 

7 July - Harriet Harman MP gives the keynotes speech

to the first Fabain Society Summer 

Gala diner. See the Fabian Society Summer Gala pictures.

Research to show the ideological Tory emergency budget will hit Britain’s least well off families the hardest while leaving the rich largely unaffected. Read the Observer article. Or See the Fabian Society report on the TUC website.

Read Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander’s response to the report at Next Left.

4 June - Tim Horton -The Guardian- 'Vince Cable is a

Neoliberal Democrat'

26 May -The Independent -Tim Horton: 'Remove the state 
        from the equation and British business will be
        exposed'

Fabian Society Research Director, Tim Horton, casts a critical eye over the Coalition's policies for business and the  economy. He argues that government intervention is critical to tackle 'market failures' and while understanding of business and the economy have moved forward Tory policy still relies on outdated methods and harks back to the laissez-faire economics of the 1980s. He warns idealogic Tory cuts could now threaten the future of British industry.   

Read Tim Horton's Independant artical.   

"We have to rethink the last 13 years. We achieved a great deal, but it was built on a model of economic and social change that can’t be repeated", he tells the forthcoming Fabian Review.

In a wide-ranging interview, the shadow Communities Secretary gives a frank account of what went wrong in the election campaign and the political challenges now faced by Labour in opposition. 

]]> richard.lane@fabian-society.org.uk (Richard Lane) Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:50:57 GMT http://www.fabians.org.uk/events/events-news/thatcherism-or-denial http://www.fabians.org.uk/events/events-news/healthdevolutionseries Since the devolution of political power to Scotland and Wales in the late 90’s, both nations have developed considerably different approaches to health services. It has been argued that, “Devolution only succeeds when we learn what works,” and the following series of invitation-only seminars will seek to interrogate the extent to which we can learn from the successes and failures of varying health strategies within the two devolved nations. How far can past experiences influence future agendas on health in Scotland and Wales? And how can we better equip cross-border dissemination of information and strategies?

The Fabians invite you to join them at the House of Commons for tea, cakes and speeches by prominent Fabian MPs.

Speakers confirmed for the event are:
Sadiq Khan MP, chair of the Fabian Society
Rachel Reeves MP
David Lammy MP
Karen Buck MP

9th July - Guests at the Fabian Society's summer reception were treated to a galvanising speech by Lord Kinnock. He said that the future success of the party rested on its ability to deliver care, opportunity, security, justice and liberty. Achieving this would bring the Labour party trust and victory in the next General Election.

]]> richard.lane@fabian-society.org.uk (Richard Lane) Fri, 28 May 2010 11:00:33 GMT http://www.fabians.org.uk/events/events-news/leaders-hustings-2010 http://www.fabians.org.uk/events/events-news/fabian-society-summer-gala The Fabian Society was delighted to host our first Fabian Summer Gala dinner on 7th July 2010. The event was kindly keynoted by Acting Leader of the Labour Party, Harriet Harman MP, who highlighted the record level of new members joining the Labour Party since the General Election . Special guests included Lord Alf Dubs, Sadiq Khan MP,  Brendan Barber, Tristram Hunt MP, Chuka Umunna MP, Douglas Alexander MP, and Kerry McCarthy MP, who joined us as we celebrated another successful year and raised funds to support our programming over the coming months. This event was kindly supported by TU Fund Managers. Podcast of the speech to be posted shortly.

  ]]> tommyhjnorton@yahoo.co.uk (Tommy) Thu, 20 May 2010 15:06:40 GMT http://www.fabians.org.uk/events/events-news/fabian-society-summer-gala http://www.fabians.org.uk/publications/publications-news/gb-splash Why the Right is Wrong
Gordon Brown
Published Monday 26 April 2010

As we head into one of the most closely fought elections in recent British history, Gordon Brown, in a new Fabian Ideas pamphlet published this week, outlines the intellectual and philosophical case for progressive politics. 'Why the Right is Wrong' argues we must harness the power that comes from people acting together to create a better and fairer society.

The Prime Minister covers the recent collapse of neo-liberalism, globalism, liberty, equality, the economy, public services and constitutional reform. Fabian members received this pamphlet free. You can read more about Why the Right is Wrong here and download a PDF of the pamphlet here.

What Worked? Labour's track record on social exclusion and the challenges for the next government

David Blunkett and Kate Green

After 13 years of political action on social exclusion - much of it coming right from the top of government - what has actually changed?

'What Worked' is a new Freethinking paper by David Blunkett and Kate Green, which looks at what the Labour Government got right and wrong on social exclusion since 1997, and how campaigners can make this issue a top priority for the next government. Download the report as a PDF

In the new Election 2010 Fabian Review our panel of experts sets progressive tests for the next government. Our cross-party panel - Michael Marmot, Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, Jonathon Porritt, Martin Narey, Richard Reeves and Phillip Blond - will help you cut through the election rhetoric. Mary Riddell interviewed Alastair Campbell as he threw himself into the election campaign, we list the Top Ten Terrible Tories and much much more... Fabian members received the Review free. 

Read our expert panel's progressive benchmarks
More about this issue of the Fabian Review

Next Left: The First Post-Election Conference,

The Fabians were delighted to host the first big political event after the election, which looked at where Labour and the broader progressive movement go from here. Ed Miliband MP used the event to announce his candidacy for leadership of the Labour Party. You can read the full text of his speech here. To see an excerpt of the speech, courtesy of the BBC, click here. ]]> tommyhjnorton@yahoo.co.uk (Tommy) Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:39:19 GMT http://www.fabians.org.uk/events/events-news/next-left-the-post-election-conference http://www.fabians.org.uk/publications/publications-news/tax-fairness Fabian Research Director Tim Horton and Howard Reed have recently published a paper for Left Foot Forward examining the distributional consequences of the Liberal Democrats' plan to lift the income tax threshold to £10,000. Their analysis showed that the change would benefit higher-income households more than those lower down the income scale, with only £1 billion of the £17 billion cost being spent on taking low earners out of taxation. The change would widen the gap between the bottom and the middle and increase relative poverty.

Hardest to Reach? The politics of multiple needs and exclusions

More than two thirds of people say they are personally concerned with the problems of people with multiple needs and exclusions, according to YouGov polling in a new Fabian Policy Report. The pamphlet, which looks at policies to improve the lives of people who experience a combination of issues including homelessness, substance misuse, mental ill health and who are often serving short-term prison sentences, has contributions from across the political spectrum. Fabian members received this pamphlet free.

]]> ed.wallis@fabian-society.org.uk (Ed Wallis) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:28:25 GMT http://www.fabians.org.uk/publications/publications-news/no-apologies-for-redistribution-says-darling