Blue Labour: Is it more of a challenge to David Cameron or Ed Miliband? | 30.06.2011

Where is social democracy going? One of the most interesting developments on the left today is "Blue Labour" - a new faction on the left with a radical plan to win back working-class voters, and respond to David Cameron's Big Society.

The man most associated with the idea is Lord Glasman, who believes that, in the post-war period Labour developed a top-down model of government that became "remote, bossy and managerial". Combining socially conservative and egalitarian elements in his thinking, he argues that the left needs to rediscover its traditions of mutualism, and community self-reliance.

"1945 was a wonderful achievement of solidarity," he argues. "But the sting in the tail of 1945 was that it broke all the mutual solidarity - the ways we took care of each other - and handed them over to the state."

Leading Labour thinkers from different wings of the party, from Jon Cruddas to James Purnell, are taking an interest in Blue Labour. And Lord Glasman has already provoked intense reactions within the left. But beyond the media buzz, what exactly is taking shape? What does it really mean in concrete policy terms? And does David Cameron or Ed Miliband have more to fear from the emergence of Blue Labour?

Speakers:

CHAIR: Neil O'Brien - Director, Policy Exchange
Danny Finkelstein - Chief Leader Writer, The Times
Jon Cruddas MP - Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham
Sunder Katwala - General Secretary, The Fabian Society
Jesse Norman MP - Member of Parliament for Hereford and South Herefordshire

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• policy exchange
• blue labour
• labour
• mutuals
• mutualism
• cooperative
• guild
• left
• left wing
• social democracy
• big society
• neil o'brien
• danny finkelstein
• jon cruddas
• sunder katwala
• fabian society
• jesse norman