H e a T l h th e y Is s u e Fawww.fabians.org.ubk i an Rev iewSpring 2008 The quarterly magazine of the Fabian Society Volume 120 no 1 £4.95 REVIEW OF THE SPRING l a e T n a i r d A Gordon, hear the call for change The Prime Minister is ‘Best at his Brownest’ and should return to the strategy which won him the leadership last year The Brown government risks being not defeat the call of ‘time for change’ corrective. Those in the Cabinet’s writ ten off before its first anniversary. next time. He was right. But will vot - Brownite centre who know why nar - The greatest frustration for Labour ers be able to point to even three key rowing the gap matters have shied supporters is just how winnable the points of ‘change’ if asked at the end away from getting out in front of the next election could still be were both of his first year as Prime Minister in Prime Minister – perhaps sometimes government and party to demonstrate June? still acting more as advisers than a strategy and appetite to win it. Frustration two: the party’s internal Ministers. They should realise that if Frustration one: there is no great debate is badly stuck. The left worries only a ‘No Turning Back’ Blairism is mystery about the Prime Minister’s that countering southern discomfort articulated, the call for ‘change’ will core vision, though voters could be would cost Labour’s soul. The Blairite be lost by default. forgiven for not knowing that. The ar - right flank worries about appeasing Frustration three: why is Labour’s gument that links policy together – Guardian-reading liberals. Labour instinct still to cautiously hoard politi - that Britain should compete on high won’t recover by debating which vot - cal capital? What for? Caution was value skills, not low wages, by un - ers it doesn’t want. partly a successful New Labour strat - locking the talent of all to ‘race to the There is no real chance of any lead - egy of quiet advance, partly too, a top’ in the global economy – is true, ership challenge, nor should there be. neurotic under-confidence which but too technocratic. This must be Those who lacked the support to put could not recognise when arguments translated into a public political argu - up a candidate when there was a va - were being won. ment about what Labour wants to cancy last year should shut up when it Eleven years in, the calculus of risk change about Britain, around which a comes to stoking media speculation must change. Whether the Labour winning electoral coalition can be re - about something which is not going to Government has two or seven years built. That should involve mobilising happen. left in office, its central mission must progressive support for the cause of But we need a more outward-look - be to embed and Tory-proof a progres - ending child poverty while showing ing and open debate about Labour’s sive Labour legacy against future po - how the argument that every child de - core mission. Few – if any – of John litical change. serves a decent start and the chance to Hutton’s Cabinet colleagues agreed That means ditching tactical trian - fulfill their potential can resonate with the content and tone with gulation, still too often the default across Middle England too. which he celebrated ‘huge salaries’ mode of this Government. Cleaving The challenge is not just one of and people who ‘climb without lim - the tactics of 1997 to the politics of communication but political strategy its’ at the top. Yet only Hazel Blears, 2008 suggests a failure to understand too. Gordon Brown recognised last concerned about ‘social apartheid’ New Labour’s success in converting spring that ‘more of the same’ could between rich and poor, offered any the Conservatives to cont’d Fabian Review Spring 2008 1 THE REVIEW Email your views to: [email protected] progressive aspirations and language. on the incumbents, not a choice be - Mark Penn in Washington. Then make It amounts to an offer to fight the gen - tween alternative governments. a fairer Britain the defining mission: eral election on David Cameron’s Labour must offer that clear choice. take risks for the cause of child poverty; terms. The Conservative leader wants So what needs to change? Get the make clear what climate change de - voters to think there is little difference Downing Street machine in place, but mands of us all; go for electoral reform between the parties. That election cancel Number 10’s subscription to PR and a written constitution. If not now, would simply become a referendum Week . Leave Hillary Clinton’s pollster when? Sunder Katwala ways which make members of other beginning of our New Year Conference groups feel alienated, insecure or un - – the biggest UK public conference on safe." You can read Hazel Blears’ full global politics. Over 700 people de - speech at http://fabians.org.uk/events bated with 50 leading speakers – on is - Gordon Brown /speeches/blears-housing-speech. sues including how George Bush’s told the Fabians departure could lead to change in he wanted an global politics, what the rise of Asia Iraq inquiry means, Britain’s role in Europe and the after all lessons of Iraq. We finished the day with the other Miliband – Ed – seeking In the last Fabian Review , the Foreign delegates’ ideas for the next Labour Secretary told Tom Hampson that he re - party manifesto which included a pro - jected our call for a full public inquiry Inheritance tax posal for a ‘poppies for medicine’ cam - into the Iraq war. This gained consider - was in need of paign to licence poppy production in able media coverage and Fabian some friends Afghanistan, to deal with a worldwide General Secretary Sunder Katwala morphine shortage and improve local wrote to the Prime Minister, arguing Over recent weeks the Fabians have livelihoods. You can read full write ups that Labour’s ability to reach out and been building a coalition and campaign of the conference at http://fabians.org. work with those outside party politics to make the case for inheritance tax. uk/events /events-news/newyearcon “will depend on acknowledging and Alongside our Fabian pamphlet, How to ference-08. learning the lessons of Iraq”. Gordon Defend Inheritance Tax (supported by the Brown replied in a lengthy letter that TUC and which Fabian members will there would be a full inquiry after all: receive in their mailing with this issue “There is a need to learn all possible les - of the Fabian Review) we also ran a de - sons from the military action in Iraq and bate at the House of Commons with its aftermath." Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC, Martin Narey, Director of Ben Bradshaw Barnardos, and pamphlet author Stuart wanted to make White. On 15 April the Fabians sent a health more letter to the Guardian , signed by MPs, equal Hazel Blears trade unionists, policy makers, academ - said it is bad ics and writers, defending the principle The Fabians held a major series of five for communities of inheritance tax against political at - seminars on narrowing health inequal - when one tacks. We will continue to work with ities between November 2007 and ethnicity other organisations on fair taxation. You March 2008, including sessions led by dominates can read the letter on our website at health ministers Dawn Primarolo, Ben http://fabians.org.uk/publications/pu Bradshaw and Ivan Lewis, and emi - At the beginning of April the Secretary blications-news. nent academics Julian Le Grand and of State for Communities and Local Sir Michael Marmot. The Fabian Government told the Fabians that no Health Inequalities Forum seminars one faith or ethnic group should domi - continued the work of the Fabian nate a town or city to the exclusion of all Commission on Life Chances and others. Launching the Fabian Housing Child Poverty, explored the major bar - and Community Policy Network, riers to narrowing inequalities across a Hazel Blears said that "There is nothing Fabians change range of key health policy areas, and wrong with enclaves of particular the world sought to suggest directions for the fu - groups – every city benefits from its one step at a ture strategy on health inequality that China Towns, Little Italies, or as in time we need. The Forum was kindly sup - London, Bangla Town, Kangaroo ported by Sanofi Aventis and you can Valley, or Little Korea." However, she Foreign Secretary David Miliband pre - read full reports on all five seminars at argued that “No neighbourhood dicted that a ‘civilian surge’ would re - http://fabians.org.uk/events/events should be dominated by one group in shape global politics. He spoke at the /health-inequalities-forum. 2 Fabian Review Spring 2008 FABIAN REVIEW Life expectancy is up but the gap remains See Sir Michael Marmot p19 Fabian Review is the quarterly journal of the Fabian Society [email protected] Editor Tom Hampson Books Editor Hannah Jameson Fabian Review , like all publications of the Fabian Society, represents QUESTIONS WE’RE ASKING Cover story not the collective view of the Society, but only the views of the Live longer under Labour 4 individual writers. The Hannah Jameson responsibility of the Society is limited to approving its publications as worthy of consideration within The Fabian Interview the Labour movement. Dawn Primarolo 7 Printed by The Colourhouse Interview by Tom Hampson London SE14 6EB Designed by SoapBox How Labour can win 10 with the NHS ISSN 1356 1812 Dr Neil Goulbourne Live longer Win with the NHS Fabian Society What do people think Can championing a 11 Dartmouth Street of the NHS, and how preventive NHS offer A shot in the arm for