Open Left is a project aimed at renewing the thinking and ideas of the political Left. We seek an open conversation across the Left about the kind of society we want and how we can best bring it about. Read more.

It’s the ‘squeeze’ not the ‘middle’ that matters

December 2, 2010

Writing for New Statesman, Head of Open Left Richard Darlington argues Labour need to ignore definitions of the ‘middle’ and focus on policies that address the ‘squeezed generation’.

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BBC Politics Show

November 29, 2010

Commenting on Labour’s Policy Review, Head of Open Left, Richard Darlington, was interviewed on the Politics Show – click here and scroll to 40mins 30secs – to watch via BBC iplayer.

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Douglas Alexander speech – in full

November 18, 2010

Reforming welfare – Won’t work without work
Keynote speaker: Douglas Alexander, Shadow Work & Pensions Secretary

In his first major speech following the publication of the Welfare Reform White Paper, Shadow Work & Pensions Secretary, Douglas Alexander gives his reaction and discuss the implications of the Government’s new proposals.

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Understanding Labour’s political decay

November 12, 2010

Long serving and well respected Labour adviser Geoffrey Norris uses Open Left’s polling evidence to understand Labour’s decay in an essay for Policy Network.

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Govt considers Open Left pension proposals

October 25, 2010

Open Left report ‘Liberation Welfare’ has shaped Government thinking ahead of a radical overhaul of the state pension system.

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How should Miliband argue the cuts?

October 22, 2010

The BBC’s Norman Smith discusses how Labour should oppose the cuts with Head of Open Left Richard Darlington, former Cabinet Minister David Blunkett, former Select Committee Chair Barry Sherman and the Fabian Society’s Tim Horton. Click here to listen again to the Today Programme report.

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Miliband’s challenge with ‘mainstream’ voters

October 19, 2010

Writing on Left Foot Forward, Richard Darlington explains the findings of YouGov polling in Open Left’s new report: ‘Open Verdict: Why Voters Left Labour’.

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New poll shows Labour lost the centre ground

September 25, 2010

New opinion poll analysis by Demos shows that voters who left Labour at the last election were more likely to have views in common with the mainstream of public opinion than with the voters that stayed with Labour. The poll shows that the balance of opinion within Labour’s 2010 voters is out of kilter with centrist opinion.

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State of Play: Labour

September 22, 2010

Writing in Total Politics magazine, Richard Darlington argues that Labour must begin a new era at conference with unity.

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Crisis of Social Democracy

September 17, 2010

In the New Statesman essay, Peter Kellner summarises his Open Left report on the Crisis of Social Democracy. He argues that even before the financial crash, social democracy in Britain was becoming unaffordable. He says that what the left needs urgently is a new business model.

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Open Left event – Memos to Labour’s next leader

September 13, 2010

Open Left is launching a Memorandum on the mainstream: a collection of policy memos written by six former Labour ministers. Join us for the launch event on Wednesday 15 September.

Click here to register

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Open Left online Q&A – Ask Andy Burnham

September 13, 2010

This afternoon, Andy Burnham, Labour leadership candidate and former Health Secretary, took part in an online Q&A on the Open Left website. Click here to read the full conversation.

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