It’s been a busy year for Progress as we seek to contribute to the debate about Labour’s future through our magazine, website and events series.

This year we marked our 15th anniversary, launched The Purple Book which revists Labour’s decentralising tradition, released new pamphlets on the ‘big society’ and the future of Labour’s foreign policy, and held a political weekend in March and events around the country.

This is the last post of the year and we wanted to bring you a selection of some of the best articles and debate.

—————————————————————————————

The Purple Book

The Purple Book was launched this year, with a host of associated articles online and in the magazine. Purple Pledges highlighted some of the main goals of the book, while others responded to its ideas. Kieran Brett welcomed Jenny Chapman MP and Jacqui Smith‘s chapter, saying that it should sensible ideas on criminal justice were alive and well in the party The Purple Book tour visited a host of cities around the country. One speaker, Toby Perkins MP, reflected on the book’s central premise of returning to Labour’s decentralising tradition

—————————————————————————————

Policy and debate

In July Tony Blair spoke at an event marking our’ 15th anniversary. In interview with Robert Philpot in Progress he argued that remaining New Labour is key to Labour winning next time

Progress deputy director Richard Angell argued for a low pay gold standard kitemark to help bring moral and social pressure on companies to pay the living wage and ensure a ‘John Lewis’ ratio between top and bottom

This year we also heard the confessions of a Tesco clubcard holder from Rachel Stalker, while Progress magazine’s The Progressive argued ‘middle-class lefties should pipe down’ when it comes to Tesco

New Labour’s ‘investment and reform’ of schools was turning the tide on social mobility argued Andrew Adonis in Progress magazine, while Alex Burrows continued the argument for an elected mayor for Birmingham, to help the city punch its weight, and Manchester council leader Richard Leese backed Progress’ Labour 4 High Speed 2 campaign

Josephine Channer reported on her campaign for greater working-class representation in politics

Sarah Hayward warned that women could lose out under Labour’s new selection rules

Vera Baird kept tabs on the government’s plans to destroy DNA evidence which could be used in rape cases

Melanie Smallman turned up the heat, calling for Labour to adopt a revved-up energy to keep the lights on

Responding to the Progress-Unions21 event at Labour party conference, Jason Prince examined how we can ensure a bright future for the unions

After the Progress political weekend in March Jonathan Todd reflected on Jim Murphy and Douglas Alexander’s call for Labour to get to a draw on the deficit and a win on growth

Alison McGovern MP flagged up the crisis of youth unemployment in her piece Wasted Youth. Alison also recounted the pain of the long drawn-out fight for justice for Hillsborough victims

Scottish Labour has to find its mission: a national crusade. Youth unemployment could be it argues Danny Phillips

Staying with Scotland,  in Progress magazine John McTernan argued that before the next general election, Labour will need to lead the campaign to save the union

—————————————————————————————

Bookies need respect too

In November Progress featured pieces backing Usdaw’s excellent Respect For Shopworkers week. Read Janet Percy‘s harrowing account of the dangers of betting shop work and the improvements the Labour government and trade union influence brought about

—————————————————————————————

Southern discomfort

Southern Front editor Stuart King wrote about Progress’ Third Place First campaign, noting the lessons it will bring to the party as we seek to win back the voters we lost

New research on public opinion in the south of England finds pessimism about the future and about politics – but Labour not yet capitalising on it suggest Patrick Diamond and Giles Radice

There must be no no-go areas for Labour argued Ben Butterworth as he stood in Tatton

—————————————————————————————

Taking on the Tories

In Progress’ May edition we marked the year anniversary of the coalition. Tim Bale gave his insight into the Tory mind. He argued that Ted Heath still casts a longer shadow over the Tories than outsiders might appreciate. But governing in coalition may yet help Cameron dull the sharper edges of Thatcherism and defeat both Labour and the Liberal Democrats

Meanwhile, Peter Watt maintained that portraying the Tories as rabid rightwingers will not work. Labour needs a strategy to counter the Conservatives, but it has to emerge from a real understanding of voters’ concerns

—————————————————————————————

Death by coalition?

In the February edition of Progress Labour historian Kenneth O Morgan examined the Liberals’ unhappy history as part of coalitions

Alongside, Paul Whiteley delved inside the party to identify the four types of Liberal Democrat coexisting within it, and considered how they may bond, or clash, with their Tory partners

—————————————————————————————

Rural Labour

John Curtice argued that Labour could once again become a rural party – but not immediately

Former South Dorset MP Jim Knight argued that Labour is not just an urban party and Steve Race further explored how this could be achieved

Matthew O’Callaghan reported on how he led successful rural Labour campaigning in Leicestershire

—————————————————————————————

Elections 2011

Psephologist Lewis Baston wrote an account of his visit to Oldham East and Saddleworth, rounded up the mixed election results of May, while he and Bob Blizzard presented the topline findings from their report on why eastern England is a non-negotiable goal for Labour

—————————————————————————————

Immigration

The ‘i’ word: in Progress magazine Former home secretary Jacqui Smith mounted a defence of Labour’s record on immigration, arguing for its principles to be combined with a clearer ‘something-for-something’ narrative around the issue

Kate Green MP in her weekly column argued that to regain traction with the public on immigration and welfare Labour needs to regain an overarching, strategic policy programme

—————————————————————————————

Fighting the Greens

Cambridge councillor Carina O’Reilly gave her advice on tackling the green peril while Hackney councillors Linda Smith and Luke Akehurst share their experiences of resisting the ‘lifestyle vote’

—————————————————————————————

An English parliament?

For St George’s Day, George Foulkes argued for an English parliament in a federal UK while David Dyke argued that Labour can be the party that speaks up for the dispossessed of England

—————————————————————————————

New ideas

Josh Macalister proposed raising the school week to 100 hours

Jack Storry set out his idea to give long-term candidates time and space to win back seats that might need two terms’ work

—————————————————————————————

Blue Labour

By debating the points of agreement and friction between New Labour and blue Labour, we can see the outline of a fresh and attractive political orientation argues Graeme Cooke

In interview with Progress, Maurice Glasman said New Labour’s estrangement from working people is at the root of its problems. Blue Labour is where it should go next

Philippe Legrain weighed in on the debate, arguing we must get beyond both Tory and Labour conservatism, as did Dan Hodges on the latest blue Labour twist

—————————————————————————————

International

In December Sam Hardy and James Denselow launch their Progress pamphlet: The Future of Labour’s Foreign Policy

Luke Bozier was ahead of the curve in calling for progressives everywhere to back the growing revolution in Tunisia

Like Ed, we should all be friends of Israel wrote Paul Richards in his weekly column

Making the Progressive Case for Israel: David Cairns MP‘s last speech which he was sadly unable to deliver

Felicity Slater reported from France on the dangerous rise of Marine Le Pen while on the home front Anthony Painter considered how a similar populist leader might emerge, taking a particular look at Nigel Farage

—————————————————————————————

Labour history

In Progress magazine Gregg McClymont MP wrote that the past can serve as a guide for our future, but Labour’s latest bout of revisionism must engage with society as it evolves

Labour History Group chair Greg Rosen marked Labour’s 111th anniversary by asking what Keir Hardie would make of the party over a century on?

John Carr recounted his reflections on a reunion, the role of the Broad Left in the emergence of New Labour

Meanwhile, Wednesday columnist Luke Akehurst shot back with a different account of the story of Labour’s rightwing

—————————————————————————————

Best wishes from the Progress team and look forward to more Labour debate and campaigning in 2012!