Progress was pleased to hold a manifesto conference exclusive to our members with Ed Miliband, energy secretary and general election manifesto coordinator speaking and listening to the ideas put forward. Thinkers and writers from the political left made their policy pitches to members who then voted (using AV!) for the ones they felt should go forward to the Labour manifesto.
A big thanks to all the panellists who came and pitched their ideas, to our members for their enthusiastic participation and to Ed Miliband for speaking and for listening to the ideas expressed. Read Ed’s address here on the change we have to stand for – a different kind of economy, politics and society
We covered six areas of policy, which are laid out below. Read the winning and runner-up ideas here
Session 1: Rebuilding our economy
Winner: ‘Break up the banks’, Varun Chandra – Work Foundation
Runners-up: Michael Stephenson (Co-operative Party), Simon Fanshawe, Will Straw
Session 2: Educating for excellence
Winner: ‘Every school to have peer-to-peer careers mentoring’, Jake Hayman – FutureFirst
Runners-up: Jessica Asato (Progress), Oli De Botton, Conor Ryan
Session 3: Health and social care
Winner: ‘Create and fund a national care service’, Stephen Burke – Counsel & Care
Runners-up: Paul Corrigan, Peter Kyle (ACEVO)
Session 4: Justice and communities
Winner: ‘Protect and invest in frontline policing and youth services by devolving budgets to local councils to jointly commission services across police, probation and prisons’, Steve Reed – Lambeth Council
Runners-up: Austen Ivereigh (London Citizens), Jonathan Heawood (English PEN), Hannah McFaull (Howard League for Penal Reform)
Session 5: Families and work
Winner: ‘Make all jobs good jobs’, David Coats – Work Foundation
Runners-up: Kate Bell (Gingerbread), James Gregory (Fabian Society)
Session 6: Reinvigorating democracy
Winner: ‘Proportional representation’, Willie Sullivan – Vote for a Change
Runners-up: Chris Leslie – (New Local Government Network), Martin Linton MP, Peter Facey (Unlock Democracy)