***RESULTS***

AFTER VOTE:

No 1 Catherine Atkinson – Ban MPs’ second jobs

No 2 Fiona Twycross – Healthy free school meals for all

No 3 Will Martindale – Cap banks’ balance sheets to 80% UK GDP

TOP POLICY CHOSEN BY ANGELA EAGLE AFTER ROUND TWO:

WILL MARTINDALE

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE SPEAKERS ON THE NIGHT.

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Which one policy would you want in Labour’s 2015 Manifesto? This is your chance to pitch your idea in 60 seconds…

  Event partner:

Labour members, supporters and non-members interested in Labour policy-making are welcome at our fringe event at this year’s Labour Party Conference in Brighton.  Join us for Top of the Manifesto Policies (format and how to take part below)…

…and for the launch of Labour Uncut’s new pamphlet Labour’s manifesto uncut: How to win in 2015 and why.

Details

Venue: The Black Lion pub, 14 Black Lion Street, Brighton, BN1 1ND (Map) (twitter @blacklion_btn)

[NB the venue is less than 5 minutes from the Labour Party Conference venue by foot]

Date / Time: Monday 23 September, 7.00-9.00pm

Refreshments: Food and drink kindly sponsored by 

Special guest: Angela Eagle MP – Chair, Labour Party National Policy Forum & Shadow Leader of the House of Commons // @angelaeagle

Chaired by: Anthony Painter – author of ‘Left without a future’ // @anthonypainter

Our previous fringe events in 2011 and 2012 were well-received and attended by members, non-members, journalists, MPs, councillors and peers.

At PragRad we do things differently and last year’s fringe was shortlisted in the ‘Party Conference Innovation’ category for the 2012 Public Affairs News Awards.

Former Cabinet Minister Ben Bradshaw MP said of our 2011 fringe: “Best fringe attended for years great mix of fun and serious ideas from #Lab11 new generation and some old.”

This year, we encourage all-comers to get in touch a specific policy (preferably a new one) that they think should be in Labour’s General Election manifesto.

FORMAT

Round One

• Up to 20 speakers pitch a single policy idea for Labour’s manifesto in 60 seconds
• Each pitch followed by 2 minutes of quick-fire questions from the audience, chaired by Anthony Painter
• A first-past-the-post vote using a ballot paper will decide the Top 5 policies

Round Two

• People whose policies are in the Top 5 to re-pitch their idea in 30 seconds
• Angela Eagle MP, Chair of Labour’s National Policy Forum, will adjudicate and pick her ‘Top Policy’
• Angela will hand out prizes to the Top 5 policies.

[NB there is no guarantee that the policy will get into the Manifesto, but you never know…]

Get involved

All are welcome to attend, and you DO NOT need to pre-register or be a member of the Labour Party. To have a chance of pitching a policy idea, please contact PragRad Chair John Slinger at john.slinger@pragmaticradicalism.co.uk

THERE MAY BE SPACES ON THE NIGHT IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK.

Format for submission of ideas:

Your policy idea, which you will pitch in 60 seconds followed by 90 seconds of audience Q&A must be a single policy that you genuinely think could and should be in Labour’s manifesto for the 2015 General Election.

Please send in the following format:

a) policy headline (one short sentence)
b) two sentences of explanation max
c) your job title/EXACT WORDING of how you wish to be described
d) your twitter name and any websites / blogs you’re associated with (if applicable)

IDEAS ALREADY SUBMITTED

We have received the following ideas. 

Ban MPs’ second jobs: Ed Miliband has led the way in the debate on second jobs, but our policy in 2015 must not be to control or curtail paid second jobs but to ban them outright. The Tory MP for where I live has a second job – people in Erewash deserve a full-time MP. Catherine Atkinson – Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Erewash // @catkinson80 // catherineatkinson.com

Revolutionise the careers service – Local Careers Agencies and WorkFirst: The careers service is failing young people: 1 million young people are unemployed across Britain. We need to revolutionise the careers service by creating local careers agencies that provide holistic support in young people’s transition from school to work. Part of this service would be led by careers service professionals trained by a high-quality graduate programme, WorkFirst. Alvin Carpio – Chair, Policy Commission on Youth Unemployment, Young Fabians // @AlvinCarpio

Workers on Boards – Building a One Nation Economy: Our system of corporate governance is bust. Shareholders – increasingly based abroad and looking for short-term profits – are failing properly to oversee our large companies. This has contributed to excessive income inequality, low investment, and the economic crisis itself. Most EU countries already have employee representation on boards. This is associated with a focus on the long term, more equal pay, and more productive workplaces. We must legislate, requiring large companies to give workers a seat – and a voice – at the top table. Joe Dromey – Labour member and council candidate from New Cross // @Joe_Dromey

No to a nuclear armed Iran: The longer Iran continues to defy the international community over its nuclear program the louder the calls for nuclear containment rather than nuclear prevention. If Iran sees that the west is committed to prevention they are more likely to dis-continue their violation of non-proliferation agreements. Bob Glaberson -researcher and writer on the Middle East; contributor to Progressonline.

A national strategy for housing delivery: Housing delivery could be as important for the next Labour government as education was for the last – we need a clear strategy for where and how we will deliver the homes we need, providing certainty about housing numbers beyond local political cycles, whilst ensuring that local communities can help to decide how and where development takes place.  A national strategy, informed by local conversations and democratic processes would set out where new homes will be built, how the infrastructure they need will be delivered, how the benefits of development can be realised by local communities and how we will build places which will stand the test of time – it is a response to the housing crisis which offers real solutions to those whom the Tories simply seek to penalise through the bedroom tax and housing benefit cap. Helen Hayes – Labour councillor in the London Borough of Southwark and chartered town planner // @helenhayes0808 @CollegeCllrs

Community Life Centres – Whole Person Care for “One Nation” Health: Community Life Centres will address the exclusion of the social side of care from the NHS settlement by providing a physical space for the integration of the physical, mental, medical and societal needs of the community to be met.These needs have to be offered at a local level within the heart of communities across the country and will support people, in difficult times, to continue to live at home and reverse the current momentum that draws people towards hospitals and away from their families and friends. Cllr Mike Le Surf – Changing Places Development Officer at Royal Mencap Society // @Mike4SBET http://mikelesurf.blogspot.co.uk/

Labour should make a manifesto commitment to repeal the marriage tax allowance: The Conservatives, with the acquiescence of Lib Dems, will bring in a marriage tax break giving £150 a year to some married couples. Repealing the allowance would give Labour £550m to spend genuinely supporting families and children. Julianne Marriott – West Ham CLP

Cap banks’ balance sheets at 80% of UK GDP: To tackle too big to fail, implicit government subsidies, so we have more banks, smaller banks and an economy less dependent on banks. Will Martindale, Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Battersea

A Room with a View: A new Labour government should commit to a comprehensive affordable housing building programme. These houses should not however merely be built in estates in cities, they should be spread out across the country, in towns and villages. Dominic Moffitt – Campaign Director, Labour for a Referendum // @dommoffitt // labourforareferendum.com // EUouth.eu

Revolutionising housing: Profit from planning. Gavin Pearson – Newham Labour councillor // @Margin4Error

Britain’s Stolen Railways: Time to Take Them Back!: Since its return to the public sector in 2009, the East Coast Mainline has returned over £640 million to the Department for Transport for reinvestment in Rail services for all, instead of just continuing to subsidise private shareholders. East Coast’s example demonstrates that Labour’s policy of returning Rail services to public ownership as / when each contract expires is economically extremely prudent, as well as being environmentally sustainable and electorally popular.’ Francis Prideaux – member of the Labour Party

A Rural Manifesto from the Labour Party: The Labour Party is often seen as a party for urban people, while nearly 20% of the UK population live in rural areas. Our policies need to be framed in a way that chimes with those rural voters and allows them to see that the values and needs of those living in rural communities are part of Labour’s vision. This should include access to jobs as well as services such as education and health. Affordable reliable transport must be at the heart of these policies as part of a strategy to tackle rural poverty and deprivation. Deborah Sacks – Labour Parliamentary Candidate for South Norfolk // @deborahsacks

End inheritance tax loopholes to lift low earners out of tax: End the loopholes that mean holdings in private or AIM listed companies, and agricultural land, don’t count towards inheritance tax. Use the savings to lift the income tax free personal allowance, to ensure no one who works full time on minimum wage pays income tax. Iain Simpson – Small Business Task Force // @IainSimpson

Restore the link between local taxes and land values: Arguably the most pernicious act of Thatcherism was shifting the primary burden of local taxes from property to people. It was a massive move of tax from the most well off to the least. Restoring a direct link between land values and Council Tax would mean 80% of households would pay less, the 1% pay more of their fair share and the housing bubble is eased. Gregory Thompson – Theatre Director // @greg0ryt

Compulsory political education in schools: Voter turnout is at an all time low, especially among younger voters. We have a responsibility to engage and educate our young people on democracy and voting. Lets ensure every school child receives political education, before we end up with a generation of disillusioned non-voters. Cllr Emma Toal – Portfolio Holder for Youth & Citizenship, Harlow Council // @emma_toal

Healthy free school meals for all: What you put in, you get out. Why healthy free school meals for all benefits children, families and society and is the ultimate one nation policy. Fiona Twycross – Labour Londonwide Assembly Member // @fionatwycross // fionatwycross.org.uk

Scrap all yellow lines: Make all roads non-parking except where allowed, as happens in Europe. Christian Wolmar – writer and broadcaster on transport matters // @christianwolmar //www.christianwolmar.co.uk // mayoral campaign @wolmarforlondon // www.wolmarforlondon.co.uk

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