ANNUAL REPORT 2015 p post 1 | ANNUAL REPORT 2015 FABIAN EXECUTIVE 2014-15 Seema Malhotra MP Chair, Fabian Society In LastDecember December I took I overtook asover chair as ofchair the Fabianof the societySociety Myparty thanks cn again to Phil in 2020.Mutero The and recent Giles Fabian Wright repReport – mem- from outgoing chair Jessica Asato, whom I would bershipThe Mountain has grown to Climb to over is an7,000 important and I contribuhave ev- like to thank for her leadership. I would also like to erytion confidenceto the analysis that of thewith electoral the programmes challenge facingunder- extend congratulations for her excellent campaign wayLabour for thisin 2020. year, Otherthe numbers contributions will continue include to howrise. as Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Norwich Thankswe should also reinventto the executive, taxation, our and vice better chairs balance Steve North and on the birth of her daughter Freya. Racelocal controland Ivana with Bartoletti national standardsand our treasurerin healthcare. Da- This year the Fabian Society has achieved an vidThe Chaplin Young for Fabians all their have fantastic continued support to inspire this year. and incredible level of output for such a small team, a Inevitablyengage, and we haveproduced seen members an excellent of the staffoutput, team China move real credit to the work of general secretary Andrew onReady: to new Equipping roles and IBritain would likefor anto thank Asian all Future. of them The for Harrop, Felicity Slater, Ed Wallis and the staff and whatYoung they Fabians, helped the achieve. Fabian We Women’s said goodbye Network to Marcus(which volunteers at the Fabian Society. I am proud of the Roberts,saw its 10thdeputy anniversary general secretary, this year) Anya and allPearson, our local as- contribution the Fabians made in the run up to sistantsocieties editor, are tremendous Richard Speight, assets media to the and Fabian communica Society,- the general election, from our agenda-setting New tionshelping manager, us reach Ciara out Dunne,and enrich events our and debate partnerships and con- Year Conference to our cross-party conference in assistanttribution and to Robpolitical Tinker, thinking senior researcher.across the Wecountry. have March on ‘A Future without poverty’. Labour lost alsoMy welcomed thanks toOlivia Phil Bailey Mutero as researchand Giles director Wright and – the election, but the imperative to change Britain Lucymembership Snow as editorialhas grown and tocommunications over 7000 and manager. I have for the better remains, perhaps more than ever. every The confidenceFabians helped with found the programmesthe Labour partyunderway and That’s why it’s right that the society’s publications I’mfor thisproud year of that our the strongnumbers history will continueof leading to rise.de- in the last year have focused on the key debates of our bateThanks in the also Labour to the movement.executive, ourJust viceas we chairs drove Steve for- time, contributing to our vital role in shaping discus- wardRace andmany Ivana of the Bartoletti ideas andand policiesour treasurer which Davidpow- sion on the centre-left about how we respond on issues eredChaplin Labour for toall victorytheir fantastic in 1945, support 1964 and this 1997, year. I at home as well as in Europe and beyond. A Conve- knowInevitably that this we year,have seenwe will members be helping of the staffbuild teamthe nient Truth: A better society for us and the planet by firstmove stepson to new of rolesLabour’s and I wouldpathway like to to thankvictory all in of them2020. Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, the authors of for they helped achieve. We said goodbye to Marcus The Spirit Level, was one such output, setting out the FABIANRoberts, SOCIETYdeputy general EXECUTIVE secretary, Anya Pearson, assis- relationship between inequality, consumerism and 2014-2015tant editor, Richard Speight, media and communica- environmental sustainability. Andrew Harrop and tions manager, Ciara Dunne, events and partnerships Howard Reed’s Inequality 2030 highlighted how Seemaassistant Malhotra and Rob MP Tinker, (Chair) senior researcher. We have the UK has faced almost 10 years of falling living Ivanaalso welcomed Bartoletti (ViceOlivia Chair, Bailey Fabian as research Women’s director and standards with poverty and inequality on the rise. NetworkLucy Snow) as editorial and communications manager. The research showed that plausible and affordable SteveThe Race Fabians (Vice Chair)helped found the Labour party government intervention can reduce future levels of Davidand I’m Chaplin proud (Treasurer) of our strong history of leading poverty, and that we will pay a high price for inaction. debate in the Labour movement. Just as we drove Since the election we have been driving forward Jessicaforward Asato many of ideas and policies which powered debate about how we respond, understanding the KateLabour Green to victoryMP in 1945, 1964 and 1997, I know dynamics of Labour’s defeat and the experience of Sarahthat we Hutchinson will this year be helping build the first Fabians who stood as candidates to help ensure the Sarasteps Ibrahim of Labour’s pathway to victory in 2020. reportreport The The Mountain Mountain to to Climb Climb is is an an important important con-con- Sadiq Khan MP tribution to the analysis of the electoral challenge Reema Patel facing Labour in 2020. Other contributions include Rachel Reeves MP how we should reinvent taxation, and better balance James Roberts local control with national standards in healthcare. Richard Speight The Young Fabians have continued to inspire and Howard Stoate engage, and produced an excellent output, China Cameron Tait Ready: Equipping Britain for an Asian Future. The Gillian Travers Young Fabians, the Fabian Women’s Network (which Stephen Twigg MP saw its 10th anniversary this year) and all our local Richard Wilkinson societies are tremendous assets to the Fabian Society, Alex Adranghi (Young Fabians) helping us reach out and enrich our debate and contri- Daniel Johnson (Scottish Convener) bution to political thinking across the country. Dan Lodge (Welsh Convener) ANNUAL REPORT 2015 | 2 FABIAN STAFF 2014-15 Andrew Harrop General Secretary, Fabian Society FABIAN SOCIETY STAFF TheThe Fabian Fabian year year has was been all all about about the the generalgeneral election 2014-2015 and its aftermath. In the autumn and winter our events created platforms to present and debate manifesto Andrew Harrop (General Secretary) ideas and our publications set the agenda for how the Marcus Roberts (former Deputy General Secretary) party should govern. Then in Spring all went quiet, with Fabian staff and volunteers dedicating themselves Ed Wallis (Editorial Director and Research Fellow) to campaigning (our editorial director, Ed Wallis, Lucy Snow (Editorial and Communications was seconded to be a speechwriter for Ed Miliband). And since the result we have been immersed in elec- Manager) tion post-mortem and debate on the left’s future. Anya Pearson (former Assistant Editor) This abrupt shift was reflected in the contrast between Richard Speight (former Media and our two main conferences. In January we heard Ed Communications Manager) Miliband set out his case to be prime minister, and then in June our packed summer conference included the first Felicity Slater (Head of Events and Partnerships) debate of the Labour leadership contest. We also held Ciara Dunne (former Events and Partnerships conferences on health, Europe and poverty (the latter, Assistant) jointly, with the Conservative think tank Bright Blue). Caitlin Griffith Otway (Events and Office Assistant) During the year our electoral analysis made waves – we were the first think tank to expose the threat UKIP posed to Labour and the mountain Labour will Olivia Bailey (Research Director) have to climb to win in 2020. But I was just as proud Cameron Tait (Senior Researcher) of the excellent policy-focused publications on Europe, Robert Tinker (former Senior Researcher) housing, climate change, youth unemployment, busi- Daisy Srblin (former Tax Research Fellow) ness partnerships, inequality and public services. In all there were 21 reports across the year (three published Phil Mutero (Director of Operations) jointly with other think tanks) on top of the continued Giles Wright (Membership Officer) success of Fabian Review, in magazine and digital form. Deborah Stoate (Local Societies Officer) The election also led to a good deal of staff turnover at the society and I’d like to thank the fantastic group of employees who served the society during the last parliament, especially my deputy Marcus Roberts. We FABIAN SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP now have an excellent new team in place, with a slightly 2014-2015 (as of 30 June 2015) smaller headcount that reflects the financial reality of another five years of opposition. I’d also like to thank 2014 2015 Change the outgoing executive, whose two-year term is now coming to an end. The work of the society is made pos- Individuals 6459 6783 324 sible by such dedicated staff and executive members. Of which Young 1520 1670 150 As with the Labour party, the society’s membership Fabians has been on the rise and by the end of the summer it CLPs, Co-ops and 64 57 -7 had exceeded 7,000 for the first time in a number of Trade Unions years. The member-led activities of the society were excellent, despite the distraction of the election, with Libraries 119 116 -3 dozens of great events organised by local societ- Corporate 24 19 -5 ies, the Scottish, Welsh and Young Fabians and the Total 6666 6975 309 Fabian Women’s Network. We know the coming years are going to be hard for the British left, but the society is well placed to help Labour face the future. 3 | ANNUAL REPORT 2015 YOUNG FABIANS 2014-15 Alexander Adranghi Young Fabians This year has been a year of change for the Young candidates. We hosted a panel debate, led by Callum Fabians. We have set a course of transforming the Totten, to look at potential progressive coalition op- Young Fabians into a member-led movement.