London, as the capital of the United Kingdom, is the sole centre of many things but no longer of government. We now have several centres of government in the UK linked together in a much more flexible and effective network. Many of us feel that devolution is bringing about a radical transformation of the culture, economy and politics of Scotland. It is a task of the Labour Party to ensure these changes remain positive and that party members have a real opportunity to consider the ideas that are shaping our country.
New and different ways of doing politics, radical transformations; these have always been the things that have interested Progress as an organisation. So it seems inevitable that Progress itself should devolve and open an office in Scotland. Our highly successful Scottish conference earlier this year also showed a settled will amongst many Progress members in Scotland to organise events, hold discussions and contribute to our UK publication. It is clear there is a real thirst for political discussion amongst Labour Party members. It is through these discussions that ideas are formed, solutions are tested and creativity can flourish. Progress has a role in providing opportunities for this to happen. It is not for us to try to lead debate in Scotland but we would like to create more spaces for debate to take place.
The presence of an office in Edinburgh, with staff who are in touch with the political scene there, will provide a valuable resource that can help facilitate Scottish Labour members coming together to share progressive ideas and to debate differences. As supporters of the UK, we also know the advantages of being part of a wider movement that allows us to exchange views with other parts of the country.
We will be launching Progress in Scotland later this year. Keep yours eyes open for what promises to be an important development in Scottish Labour politics (and also a particularly good launch party).