‘No Place Left Behind’ – A speech to The Guardian

(left: the great Michael White photographed at Guardian HQ)

Tonight, I’m giving a speech at The Guardian’s new(ish) HQ near Kings Cross. One of a series of speeches organised by the Progress think-tank. its title is “No Place Left Behind” and in it, I argue that Labour must put “poor places” at the heart of its agenda for a fourth term.

Strong government action in Britain has successfully reduced poverty in the past decade – in sharp contrast to the conservative policies of the Bush Administration in the United States. But the forces of globalisation are in danger of leaving some of Britain’s towns and inner cities behind.

I believe Labour must be the pro-globalisation party in the face of anti-globalisation forces on the right of British politics. But that requires all corners of the country to benefit from globalisation, not just some

In the speech, I take on ‘Broken Britain’ – David Cameron’s response to this challenge. I think it reveals Cameron’s old ideological prejudices and ignores the reality of life in the 21st Century. I believe that strong societies are fair societies and that the world’s fairest societies all have strong states. The choice between state and society is therefore the greatest myth in modern politics.

I also outline five themes for Labour’s fourth term, which I believe must inspire the party’s next manifesto: personal responsibility, a strong civic society, renewed focus on skills, local freedoms for public servants, and city strategies to compete in the global economy.

You can read the speech here.