The Movement for Change is the most recent and effective attempt at trying to spread these techniques within Labour. Kicked off by David Miliband, this programme has already trained 1,200 ‘future leaders’ in the skills of community organising. As they put these into practice, the results are becoming visible across the country.

In my constituency of Walthamstow, this has helped bring together a coalition to tackle personal debt in our area. A team of party members and local community representatives have worked to support our credit union, promote personal financial advice services and challenge the presence of legal loan sharks in our high street.

Methods such as 1-2-1s, community walks and house meetings have helped participants build relationships with each other around these shared concerns. These have then sustained their interest and activities as they have recruited others to the campaign. Building on their early achievements, the group are now looking to lobby the local council to restrict licences for legal loan sharks in our town centre. In turn, they have convinced me as their MP to bring forward legislative proposals calling for a cap on the interest rates lenders can charge and to get banks to underwrite the work of organisations providing free financial literacy training and debt advice.

It’s not just in Walthamstow that these skills have helped bring together progressive values and practical actions for positive impact. In Enfield, campaigners have secured a new security door on the Ladderswood estate. In Manchester, teams of Labour members and local activists have run ‘listening campaigns’, championing activities to get more green spaces in the city centre and developing a ‘respect covenant’ in Northern Moor in order to tackle antisocial behaviour. As well as being applied to local progressive causes, using these methods has also strengthened the case for Labour representatives. In Norwich, Marion Maxwell, a local council candidate, built a team of 70 people to light up the streets with fairy lights and highlight Conservative council cuts to street lighting. Two weeks later, standing in an ‘unwinnable’ council by-election, she came within 100 votes of taking the seat.

Each of these projects has sought different outcomes but has been influenced by the same philosophy. It is one that focuses on building the numbers of people who can take action in their communities rather than positions in committees. Ed Miliband’s commitment to make the work of the Movement for Change part of the mainstream within the Labour party reflects the growing interest the achievements so far have generated. The time has come to empower members and supporters to act directly for progressive causes in their communities. In short, it’s time to go back to our constituencies and prepare to organise!