Progress reading grouphow to organise a book groupan easy 1, 2, 3

Get a group of friends, members of your CLP and/ or branch to agree to read and review a monthly Progress feature. Read pages 18-19 Brave new world by Graeme Cooke. Meet together and consider the piece and the questions below. This could be part of your CLP/branch meeting, or take place just before.

Brave new world

The defining sociological trends of today are very different from when Labour was last in opposition. The party needs to think boldly to address them, argues Graeme Cooke. Questions to discuss:
See pages 18-19, Progress, September 2011

Labour as a national party: Cooke argues for a 'majoritarian political project'. How important do you think that is? What are the barriers to Labour achieving this? Cooke writes that a vote drop to 29 per cent raised questions about Labour's 'status as a truly national party'. How must we change to be a 'truly national party' again? The voters: Do you agree with the idea that people broadly fit into one of three categories: 'pioneers', 'prospectors' and 'settlers'? If so, how should Labour respond and seek to appeal to these different groups?

The squeezed middle: How should we seek to change the 'polarisation' in the labour market? How do we ensure people on 'low and middle incomes share in the proceeds of growth'? How do we ensure the care crunch does not undo recent progress for women and families? How do we negotiate the tensions between a 'younger generation, facing a bleaker future than their parents, and an older generation holding economic wealth'?

Why not invite someone from the Progress speaker list along to your meeting?
www.progressonline.org.uk/ about-progress/speakerlist/

Tell us what your reading group thought:

office@progressoline.org.uk