youngfabians Anticipations “You don’t lead by hitting peple over the head - that’s assault, not leadership.” Dwight Eisenhower Volume 10 issue 1 - Spring 2006 On deadlines and leadership Editorial by Emma Carr As this is my first Anticipations editorial, I feel articles and reviews contained within each my first act should be to congratulate those issue of Anticipations. When I sat down and that have gone before me. first looked at the blank project page that was the beginning of this issue, I couldn’t imagine Actually, my first act should be to introduce how it would end up being an actual myself and Angela. My name is Emma and I publication. am the new Anticipations editor. I am assisted most ably by the lovely Angela Green - who The thing that really helped, and I mean this valiently puts up wth my bossiness, my from the bottom of my heart, was having stuff bullying and my attempts to turn every to put in it. Really. It’s wonderful to suddenly editing session into a trip to the pub instead. see the bucket that is your project start filling up with intelligent writings from intelligent Now, back to my original point, I would like to people all over the country. congratulate my predecessors. Well done; you have all - from early days of Liam Byrne and Which brings me quite neatly to this issue and his companions to the revoluntionary days of its contents. David Floyd - done a marvellous job and I have underestimated your hard work. Our theme this time was political leadership and the upcoming local elections - nearly Now, I never expected editing Anticipations to upon us now, see how that deadline thing be a piece of a cake - this being my second works. We decided upon this topic for fairly year on the Young Fabian executive, I knew, obvious reasons. The Lib Dems had just to some extent, what I was getting myself ousted their leader and were in the middle of into. I thought I could handle it. After all, I’m a, now completed, leadership battle in which a punctuality and punctuation junkie and I Ming was victorious (wouldn’t have happened verge on side of being bossy (all who know if Flash had been around). The Tories finally me are screaming “very bossy” at the page, overcame their little leadership hiatus and right now). Editing is surely my dream role? elected young Mr Cameron as their leader to show they weren’t the neptosism obsessed, I am aware of the fact that, in general, Young elite-classed, far-righters everyone thinks Fabians are not the best for deadlines. Don’t they are. And so he duly populated his be upset; I’m just trying to be honest. After shadowCabinet with his best buddies, his old all, any of you who attended the innaugural Eton chums and, for some reason, Gerald Young Fabian trip to Edinbrugh Festival last Howarth. year will be well aware of the issues I had getting anybody to an event on time. And it Of course, if you’re talking Party leadership, played with my nerves, really it did. Made me you can’t forget the media frenzy that is the turn to alcohol; for my nerves, you know? ‘when will happen’ story of Blair and Brown. I thought I could handle it. But now? Well, As you can see, we are living in a jolly time of now I have learnt to change the deadline. leadership upheaval and political unrest. And After all I, like dear Gordon, am merely the who better to comment on it that your own setter of the Golden Rule. In my case, ‘meet good selves? Well, no one actually. And so the target’. And I stick to it, really I do. It’s not that’s what you’ve done. editorial my fault if the deadline keeps changing. Of course, that isn’t the only topic covered, Now, considering this and the many other this month’s issues features article on myriad woes faced by an Anticipations editor - they subject, including two pieces on Britishness, are too numberous and too complicated to list following up on topic of the Fabians New - and bearing in mind the consistantly high year’s Conference. We also have the write up quality the publication has been throughout of the first ever Young Fabian book group. the years, these editors of yore receive my highest commendation. Well done you, you Anyway, I seem to have run out of space so, are truly saints among men. Well, if not quite from Angela and myself; read on, we hope saints, then certainly quite good really, all you enjoy it. things considered. To contact Emma about Anticipations, please Now, the next people to mention are the email [email protected]. To contact contibutors. The Young Fabians who write the Angela email [email protected]. 2 Anticipations Spring 2006 - Contents Less packaging, more policies 4 The rehabilitation of Wilson 20 James Young states the case for stronger Nick Bowes explains why thirty years is a political leadership within the European very long time in British politics, Union especially for Harold Wilson Regions 6 The schoool ties that bind 23 Columns from Scotland and the Regions Oli de Botton tells us there is no greater basis for British identity and inclusivity Facing the truth? 8 than a commonly shared curriculum Conor McGinn says the new Inquiries Act won't help bring closure to Northern A new British chapter? 24 Ireland's painful past Sara T’Rula discusses Britishness in the UK’s modern society Young Fabian Schools Project 10 Nisha Tailor, Schools Project Officer on the Yeah but, no but... I’m British 26 Young Fabian executive, explains how Sarah Mizra discusses Britishness as a Young Fabians can get involved. British Muslim Interview - Liam Byrne MP 12 A local election for local people 27 Emma Carr interviews Liam Byrne, health Tom Flynn rants about the standing in a minister and former Anticipations editor lcoal election Cameron the Chameleon 14 Where to draw the line 28 Jessica Asato asks whether Cameron’s Rebecca Rennison asks at what point does shift towards the political centre to be freedom of speech go from social satire to believed? And, if so, where does that incitement to religous hatred? leave Labour? Upcoming Events 29 Painting the town Blue 15 Cartoon by Matthew Thomas Book Club 30 ‘An Unsocial Socialist’, by geroge Bernard Fight for your right to party 16 Shawm is reviewed by the Young Fabian Craig Jones explains why the recent book club and written up by Angela Liberal Democrat leadership contest was Green, Deputy Editor of Anticipations. hardly worth the bother. Book Review 31 Is there any body out there? 17 ‘An End to Poverty: A historical debate’ by Sara T’Rula wonders why David Chaytor’s Gareth Stedman Jones, reviewed by Ian electoral reform private member’s bill Barrett went by almost unnoticed. P.G. Tips 32 Interview - Yvette Cooper MP 18 Chair’s Column by Prema Gurunathan Kathryn White meets Yvette Cooper, Minister for Housing and Planning, to discuss thrid term policy - and strategy contents Anticipations, like all publications of the Fabian Society, and the Young Fabians, represents not the collective view of the Society, but only the views of the individuals who prepared it. The responsibility of the Society is limited to approving its publications as worthy of consideration within the Labour movement. Published by The Fabian Society, 11 Dartmouth Street, London, SW1H 9BN. Tel: 0207 227 4900 Fax: 0207 976 7153 Website: www.fabian-society.org.uk Printed by Juma Printers, 44 Wellington St, Sheffield, S1 4HD Emma and Angela would like to thank: Prema Gurunathan, Conor McGinn, David Floyd, Becky Rennison and Jessica Asato. Anticipations 3 More policies, less packaging James Young states the c ase for stronger political leadership within the European Union The European Union is in crisis. When its most framework for decision-making in an enlarged ambitious political project to date – the and enlarging EU. The extension of qualified European constitutional treaty – is rejected by majority voting and, most critically, popular vote in two of the Union’s founding readjusting of the voting weights of Member members, it is hard to ignore that the French States to be more reflective of their disparate ‘non’ and the Dutch ‘nee’ have left Europe’s population sizes, aimed at making the political elite in no doubt about the trouble European Council (the principal decision- they are in with voters. making body of the Union) more representative and effective. Second, the In response , Tony Blair called for a ‘period of creation of a single Foreign Minister and reflection’ at the start of the British presidency European Diplomatic service would have of the European Council. Eight months later, increased the efficacy of the EU’s external the absence of progress has been publicly relations; providing that single telephone conceded by the European Parliament’s formal number for those wishing to know Europe’s adoption of ‘reflection’ as its official ‘strategy’. stance on a particular issue, requested by Henry Kissinger almost 30 years ago. Third, The constitutional treaty was the product of a modest yet significant democratic reforms lengthy ‘Convention on the Future of Europe’ included the requirement of the European followed by a protracted intergovernmental Council to meet in public; the right of a third conference, together spanning just shy of two or more governments to “call in” proposals for and a half years. The Convention certainly reconsideration and revision; and, with the exhibited a diversity and executed a scrutiny European Citizen’s Initiative, providing the of the Union previously unseen in right of petition to all citizens if a million preparations for EU treaty reform by opening signatures can be collected.