Building the infrastructure for a progressive fight back

The latest post-election conference takes place tomorrow at the Institute of Education, organised by Compass, with a theme of “A New Hope” for progressive politics. Speakers at the sold-out event include shadow international development secretary Douglas Alexander, the Green Party’s leader and first ever MP Caroline Lucas and leading economist Professor David Blanchflower – plus all five Labour leadership contenders, in their biggest hustings to date.

Left Foot Forward, together with Labour List, will be hosting a session on building the infrastructure for a progressive fight back, in the Elvin Hall from 11:15 to 12:30. The panel features our editor Will Straw, Labour List’s editor Alex Smith, Matthew McGregor of Blue State Digital and Sian Berry, Green Party London Assembly Memeber.

Will will argue that:

“If a hung parliament takes place again in the future – as it may well – Labour will need to work with Liberal Democrat and Green MPs to secure a majority. With the Lib Dems in power there is a temptation to be short-termist and reject any notion of working with them despite our similarities. Meanwhile, the Greens with parliamentary representation can no longer be ignored.

“Progressives must think hard about the online and offline organisations that are needed to generate new ideas, win the public argument, and mobilise our base.”

The session will focus on the tribal v plural debate in the Labour Party; how the Greens see the landscape and what appetite they have to work together with Labour and/or the Lib Dems; and will look at some of the non-tribal progressive organisations already in place (online and offline) and how we can enhance their work.

Other morning sessions include debates on immigration; a progressive foreign policy; climate justice; global poverty; child poverty; housing; and community organisation, while afternoon highlights include debates on health inequality; mutualism; tax justice; democratic change; the Monarchy; fariness in education; and Latin America.

Earlier this week, Neal Lawson, chair of Compass, explained in The Guardian how a progressive movement “can still make history” and capitalise on progressive dismay at “the most serious and audacious power grab anyone in British politics has seen” – the alliance between Mr Clegg and Mr Cameron.

He wrote:

“The collapse of existing socialism, east and west, means that these have not been fortuitous times for progressives. But we still ‘make history’. The ‘we’ is those still in Labour’s ranks and the thousands who left; the nine million who despite everything voted Labour, as well as those who couldn’t bring themselves to do so.

“It is the millions of Liberal Democrats dismayed at the deal their leaders have done, the Greens, and all who care about sustainability. But much more, it is the millions living anxious and insecure lives, those who know that they are only one payslip from homelessness. It is a majority of Britain that no one really represented at the last election.

“In the end it is not leaders who betray us – we only betray ourselves by not joining, fighting and struggling for something better… One person sees very little, only a movement can see everything. It is a time to sow deep seeds of slow but lasting change.“