Article by Tom Marley from Compass Youth and VP (Education and Access) for the Guild of Students, published here

Interesting debate here between Charles Clarke and Jon Trickett on what should be the future direction of the Labour Party.

Both seem to agree that the party needs to be bold though neither really get there in giving the reader a genuine narrative of Labour in government. Clarke lays down this gauntlet though and goes through the old rhetoric of public service reform, environmental stability etc…

Trickett on the other hand makes a positive call for arms:

“It’s time to break with New Labour timidity. No longer will the modernising left sit quiet, hoping for a more progressive face to emerge from New Labour’s bunker. Our party wills the change that we are being denied. Our country needs it.”

In an Obama-esque turn of phrase he pays lip service to the change he doesn’t make time to describe. It is the job now of the progressive left to not just call for ‘change’ but demonstrate what the change should be.

My 5 questions for the party are this?

1. What should our response be to growing inequalities of wealth in this country?
2. How do you balance the creation of affluence with the need to ensure environmental sustainability?
3. After we have provided opportunities how do you create the necessary aspirations?
4. What is the role of public services in the 21st century and how do we respond to the demand of the users?
5. How should the Labour Party respond to meet the challenges?

What do you think?