INTERVIEW COMMENT CLIMATE SPRING Keir Starmer, Leader of The Future of Scottish The Fabian response to 2020 the Labour Party p.12 Labour p.15 the climate crisis p.24 “ WE ARE AN INCREDIBLE, UNSTOPPABLE FIGHTING FORCE, IF WE PULL TOGETHER. ” KEIR STARMER, P12 CONTENTS ADAM ALLNUTT IN THIS ISSUE FROM THE CHAIR Editor’s Column P2 From nursery to youth wing P2 Putting culture at the top of the agenda P3 elcome to the 60th anniversary During this lockdown we have all had a W edition of Anticipations, our first chance to reflect on what the future holds, From church to classroom P4 as the new Executive of 2019-20, and the and I have taken the opportunity to think In the bleak midwinter of austerity P6 year so far has been an interesting one. about political activism. This time last I am immensely privileged to have such year Extinction Rebellion (XR) took to the The best of decades, the worst of a brilliant team around me, with active streets of London causing our Parliament decades P7 network committees and a talented group to declare a climate emergency but, Live long and prosper P8 of activists in the Young Fabians. unsurprisingly, the government still has We have embraced the ‘new normal’ not taken any meaningful action to prevent Somewhere ages and ages hence P8 with creative energy, moving our events climate breakdown. It’s the NHS stupid P9 and policy development online into the Changing the public’s perception on Young Fabians Zoom Talk Series. Thank issues through protest is important, but the Breaking the Labour Party taboo P10 you to everyone who has been involved; Labour party exists to seek representation We can bicker about policy all we want, but it’s been great to see so many people in Parliament so that we can have the it’s leaders who win elections P11 engage with the format. power to act. The two work hand in hand to So far, we have had immense success drive public opinion forward on important Interview: Keir Starmer P12 with audiences from across the country, issues, build movements for progress, and Is Fabianism dead? P13 and the world. In the past few weeks, we then deliver the change that is needed. have had fabulous guests including the The Young Fabians should be part of this Regulating Labour factionalism P14 first female Shadow Chancellor Anneliese – from driving the discussion and building Roses in the thistles P15 Dodds MP, Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, ideas at one end, to helping the party to Thangam Debbonaire MP, Gill Furniss MP, deliver it at the other. A federal future? P16 Jess Phillips MP, Alex Sobel MP, Stella My activism in Extinction Rebellion gave Local power over public services P17 Creasy MP and Wes Streeting MP who me the opportunity to experience the have given their insight into their careers, sense of community that can be created by Great expectations? P18 spoken on areas of policy and offered their activists trying to create change. This is the How our health service has failed trans prediction on what is next for the Labour same sense of community I feel we have in people P19 movement. the Young Fabians, albeit with a different Workplace politics P20 This edition of our magazine is about approach. anticipations and reflections. Apt given My rallying call to you is step up, Iberian links P21 that as I write, we are months into the investigate, pressure, probe, agitate, Confronting surveillance capitalism P22 lockdown and we all have a bit more time articulate, and organise. Fabianism is on on our hands to think, reflect and plan for the rise and with it comes an opportunity The decade that decides our future P24 when we are on the other side. for us to grow. Cecilia Jastrzembska P25 Fabianism is on the rise in the Labour I want to end this note by saying a big party. For the first time in the party’s 120- thank you. Thank you to all our NHS and California P26 year history, a member of the Fabian keyworkers who place their lives on the Local is the new black P28 Society Executive has been elected leader, line to help us every day. Thank you to with Anneliese Dodds MP appointed as everyone helping our communities during the first ever female Shadow Chancellor. this difficult time, no matter the size of their This brings new energy in Fabian policy contribution. Thank you to all our writers, development and in building a united executive members and contributors who platform across the Labour movement. created this edition for you to read and EDITORIAL TEAM The new leadership of the party enjoy. Henna Shah Anticipations Editor represents a great chance for Young But most importantly thank... you. Every Carolina Saludes Creative Supervisor Fabian members to grow and develop our single Young Fabian member represents, Robin Wilde Graphic Designer activism. There has never been a better builds and creates our movement – Adam Allnutt Content Supervisor time to become more active as we connect especially during these challenging times. Nate Amos-Sansam Anticipations Sub-Editor with key shadow ministers who are looking I hope you, your loved ones and your to develop new policy ideas and hold this families are safe, and I look forward to government to account. We can be there seeing you when this crisis has passed. to support them and be part of the push for Designed by Robin Wilde Design & Creative progressive change. robinwilde.me 1 EDITORIAL HENNA SHAH EDITOR’S COLUMN elcome to Anticipations. The which is to provide them with political universal anguish and specific destruction Wroad to this edition began many representation. Government is not a nice of Coronavirus – we must carve out a new months ago, in a Liverpool St Leon to have, it is the only way we can work future. A future that can tackle the structural (not so well-known for its socialist towards a nation that upholds the principle inequalities of race, class, gender, sexuality credentials). We were coming off the of social justice, and tackles oppression in and disability as well as protecting our back of an historic election defeat, and all its forms. planet and delivering prosperity. the Labour leadership election was We can see the impact that power has at We can do this, we must do this, and just kicking off. a local and regional level. It can transform our excellent contributors have begun the Things have changed a lot since then. communities like Preston, provide new conversation about how we do this. Thank Coronavirus has transformed our lives, models of public service that serve people you to all of them and to all of the exec, and I would like to take a moment to thank not profit like in Wales, and ensure we can especially Carolina, Adam, Nate and Mhairi those people who have kept us going – keep our country together, like it would in who have supported me and this magazine our NHS staff, our cleaners, our teachers, Scotland. through this strange time and to Robin, our those who in work in our supermarkets, in This edition was compiled when the designer extraordinaire, for his eternal our warehouses or deliver us the things wounds of election defeat were still raw. patience and for bringing this publication we need (plus many more I’m sure I’ve Even then we were facing an uphill battle, to life. missed). far from the ‘Southern Discomfort’ of 1992. I hope this magazine will start a The Labour Party was created to We face southern, northern, Scottish conversation, and look forward to seeing represent working people. Yet we have and even Welsh discomfort. And now, your pitches for future editions! consistently failed in our main duty, we have an even greater task – with the DICK LEONARD FROM NURSERY TO YOUTH WING THE FOUNDING OF THE YOUNG FABIANS he genesis of the Young Fabians was in 1906, many of its members later became the Young Fabians, and elected provisional T a weekend school for ‘Under Thirties’ Labour MPs, though it became notorious officers. which I organised for the Fabian Society, for the sexual endeavours of H.G. Wells. I don’t remember the names of anybody of which I was Deputy General Secretary, It finally petered out in the 1920s, when there, except for Jasper Ungoed-Thomas, in early 1960. This was held at Winston Fabianism was at a low ebb. and am not sure whether this is because House, where the Foreign Office centre, Soon after I wrote to the 60 or so his father had been Solicitor-General known as Wilton Par, was (and is) based. It under Attlee or because his name recalled is near the West Sussex village of Steyning, the words of a bawdy student song, “Oh Sir set in green countryside, and overlooked Jasper, do not touch me!”. I had kept Hugh by a steep hill topped by ancient earth- Dalton informed of what I was doing, and works, known as Chanctonbury Ring. he gave me one piece of advice: ‘insist on The director of the weekend school them writing a firm age limit into their rules’, was Hugh Dalton, a still vigorous he said. ‘Otherwise they’ll soon be run by septuagenarian, Chancellor of the 35-,or even 40-year olds.” I took his words Exchequer from 1945-47. He subsequently to heart, and the Young Fabians adopted devoted himself to encouraging younger an age-limit of 31. people to make their way in the Labour I was technically eligible to join, but Party; prominent among his proteges I decided not to do so, as I was about to were Tony Crosland, Roy Jenkins and leave my job and embark on a lecture tour many others who later made their mark.