Our politics is at a crossroads. The populist right, determined to take us down a path of division and decay, is gaining momentum. The task of the unifying, popular left must be to light the way to a decade of radical renewal. The race is on.
That’s why on 31st May, over 450 of us came together at CHANGE: HOW? A Decade of Radical Renewal – to build a vision for the kind of country we could be ten years from now, and to debate the ideas, action and principles that Labour in government could champion now to help get us there.
It was a day bursting with hope, energy and purpose. If you couldn’t be there in person, fear not! We captured a number of recordings of the day, so you can catch up and feel as optimistic as I do that transformative change is possible – if we fight for it together.
Over 30 of our brightest and best political thinkers and leaders joined us for CHANGE: HOW? A Decade of Radical Renewal, united by the urgent need to build a bold and ambitious vision for the future.
Here are just a few highlights from the day…
💥 Compass Director, Neal Lawson, opened the day with a rallying call for Labour to take on Reform by offering a clear, ambitious and pluralist alternative.
“Labour is lost, but help is at hand. We know what it needs, it needs a Compass”
💥 MP for Sheffield Heeley, Louise Haigh, urged the government to use the Spending Review to deliver an ‘economic reset’ and to introduce a wealth tax to unlock vital spending for communities and public services.
“Voters are sick of tinkering. They want us to rewrite the rules of the game, which have been stacked against them for too long. And they deserve nothing less from a progressive, Labour government”
💥 Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, set out the need for mainstream politics to provide a ‘stronger, clearer, inspiring offer’, calling for Proportional Representation, a revolution in technical education, and the biggest programme of social and council housing that the country has ever seen.
“There is still in this country a clear majority of decent people out there, looking for the light, looking for a lift, looking for more unity across society … let’s make sure they wait no longer”
CHANGE: HOW? A Decade of Radical Renewal was a space for debate, discussion and imagination, and it could not have been better-timed. Right now, the government looks lost and the populist right waits in the wings. This is a critical moment at which we must champion the bold action and bright ideas that can transform our country.
But our efforts can’t stop there. We must put words into action and make radical renewal a reality. That means organising to make change happen.