Last month I took part in Progress’s manifesto conference. It was a fantastic day, superbly organised and it was great to talk and debate ideas with Progress members. Six suggestions were picked out and I’ll be responding to them in due course.

Yesterday I emailed party members asking them to have their say on our manifesto. I also announced through Twitter that I wanted people’s ideas in response to a different theme each week. The reaction so far has been brilliant and I genuinely appreciate people taking part.

I’ve actually been surprised by how concisely people have been able to put their ideas to me via Twitter – I never realised you could say so many useful and intelligent things in 140 characters. Even if I don’t agree with every idea it is vital we have this debate. It is really important for me that party members get their say on how we shape our manifesto.

That manifesto will set out a clear vision of the kind of Britain we want to build in the next decade. It will start from the basic belief we have as Labour party members: that we all benefit from a society based on an ethic of fairness, responsibility and compassion. And that, rather than a Tory view that we should leave people to sink or swim, we all do better when we look after each other.

These values are even more relevant in today’s world where there are tough challenges and choices that lie ahead. We know there are huge opportunities for our country in the future such as the huge expansion in skilled jobs and the potential for getting on through education. We are fundamentally optimistic about Britain’s potential and its future. But there are big risks too, whether for our society as a whole through climate change, or for each of us when we reach older age.

If opportunities are to be spread fairly, not hoarded by the few at the top, and if we are to be protected from risks too great to be handled alone, government needs to provide a helping hand. And it needs a Labour government that will be on the side of the many, not the few.

So the bold ideas at the heart of our manifesto will respond definitively to the questions that people are asking on the doorstep: what job is my son going to do in the future? How can my kids afford housing to rent or buy? How can I get proper care for my mum who is getting older? How can we make my street and my neighbourhood a better place to live?

Over the next few weeks I hope as many members as possible will have their say. To get involved log on to http://www.labourspace.com/, or tweet me @EdMilibandMP   

Get involved and let me know your ideas. Let’s build a manifesto that speaks to the lives of people throughout this country. Together we can build a future fair for all.