‘Top Of The Policies’ events in 2012

Pragmatic Radicalism is more than a website or vehicle to publish pamphlets. We wish to use innovative formats and technology in meetings to encourage the development of new policy ideas.  We held a successful  ‘Top Of The Policies’ fringe event at Labour Conference, at which 20 speakers presented a new policy idea in two minutes each followed by two minutes of Qs & As.

The ‘Top Of The Policies’ format worked well as it maximised both the number of people who could present ideas, was a great leveller so that the main critereon was not the fame or experience of the presenter but the quality of their idea and was democratic, as it resulted in a vote.

Pragmatic Radicalism is more than a website or vehicle to publish pamphlets. We wish to use innovative formats and technology in meetings to encourage the development of new policy ideas. To begin this process, we held a  ‘Top Of The Policies’ fringe event at Labour Conference, at which 20 speakers presented a new policy idea in two minutes each followed by two minutes of Qs & As. The ‘Top Of The Policies’ format worked well as it maximised both the number of people who could present ideas, was a great leveller so that the main critereon was not the fame or experience of the presenter but the quality of their idea and was democratic, as it resulted in a vote.

Pragmatic Radicalism II

We are now rolling out a series of ‘Top Of The Policies’ events throughout 2012. The first event, on 17 January 2012, focuses on skills and is being run in partership with Unions21 and unionlearn. Subsequent events shall focus on different subject areas. People are invited to submit ideas to have the opportunity to participate as a speaker at these events (more details soon). Meetings may be web-cast and we plan to include Twitter streams, Skype presentations for speakers who cannot attend and simultaneous online voting so that an audience beyond those physically in the room may vote and participate.

The ideas which ‘win’ these events shall help inform a new publication to be launched at Labour’s Conference in 2012. The relevant Labour Shadow Minister shall be invited to each event. Our next pamphlet shall be focused on providing Labour’s Shadow teams with useful policy ideas which, having been in party generated by ‘Top Of The Policies’ events, will have been ‘road-tested’. More details on the format of this process shall be published at a later date. Organisations are invited to sponsor these events and our next publication.