Articles Articles

At the recent Progress housing event, Richard Angell argued that because most of the ‘squeezed middle’ aspired to own their homes, it followed that, unless Labour developed policies that showed it was on the side of these people and that would allow these people to achieve their home ownership ambitions, Labour would lose the next election. He’s right! However, notwithstanding the political upside in supporting home ownership, there is a clear ethical dilemma in developing such policies.

When the first copies of Progress magazine appeared 15 years ago, John Major’s administration was limping into its last full year in office, Labour had not won a general election for 22 years, and Arthur Scargill was still – just – a member of the party.

Last year the NHS paid out nearly £800 million in damages and costs for clinical negligence claims. Although part of an upward trend, it was not an exceptional year.

Responsibility Agenda: Recent weeks have not been the best for Kenneth Clarke with his revealing comments on rape and the shambles over the 50 per cent sentencing discount. But Labour cannot assume that because the Tories are making a mess of it that it will benefit.