Progress Annual Conference 2011: Winning Back Britain

The Progress Annual Conference 2011, which Left Foot Forward is a media partner of, is the biggest event of the Progress calendar, and takes place this Saturday (May 21st) – get your tickets now at www.progressives.org.uk/pac11; Richard Angell, Deputy Director of Progress, reports

One year after the general election, and three weeks after Ed Miliband’s first major test at the polls, Progress’ annual conference this Saturday poses the question: Where’s Labour at?

With Ed Miliband delivering his first post-match analysis in front of party members, and six senior members of the shadow cabinet in attendance, ‘Winning Back Britain’ assesses the state of the party, and the policy and political challenges which lay ahead.

As a former vice chair of Progress, Ed - a regular speaker at our events, contributor to our publications and advocate of Progress and its politics - will be amongst friends and will have the opportunity to share his thoughts on the party’s direction of travel.

Progress members - who compromise grassroots activists, councillors, and senior party figures - know that Labour needs to change to win again, but also recognise the importance of the party remaining firmly rooted in the centre ground, with the key policy and political principles of New Labour being applied to a new age and new challenges.

That’s why the conference will focus on the key policy issues Labour needs to address: closing its economic credibility deficit; putting users in the driving seat of public services; welfare reform; law and order; and building a new economic model which marries profit and partnership.

The conference will also examine the key political hurdles Labour must overcome if it’s to make the coalition’s tenure in power a brief one. As Douglas Alexander, one of our speakers on Saturday, tells the current issue of Progress magazine, the Scottish parliamentary election exposed the limits of ‘traditional Labour’.

That’s why we’ll have pollsters, academics, commentators, local government leaders, and MPs looking at whether the coalition is reshaping the centre ground; the condition of the Labour party in England; how we reform Labour to make it match fit; and the crisis of social democracy in Europe.

Amongst our speakers Douglas Alexander, Yvette Cooper, Angela Eagle, Caroline Flint, Tessa Jowell, Ivan Lewis, plus Stephen Timms, Jacqui Smith, Andrew Adonis, Hazel Blears, Frank Field, Deborah Mattinson, Philip Blond, Maurice Glasman, Mary Riddell, David Aaronovitch, Stephen Twigg, Chuka Umunna, Tristram Hunt, Liz Kendall, Bridget Phillipson, Rachel Reeves, Jonathan Reynolds, Anas Sarwar, and John Woodcock.

Left Foot Forward will be a media partner of the event which takes place on Saturday (May 21st), from 10:00 to 5:00, at Congress Centre, 23-28 Great Russell Street, WC1B 3LS; tickets can also be ordered at http://pac11.eventbrite.com/