OPINION

Graham Allen argues that the UK's democracy would benefit from adopting a deliberative democratic approach with the use of Citizens' Conventions.

The article is introduced by SLF Council member, Jon Alexander.

 

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Author: Amil Khan

 

In the immediate aftermath of the 2019 General Election, Labour Together approached Valent to undertake a review of the Conservative Party’s digital strategy as part of their review of the Labour Party’s election strategy. What we found at the time looked interesting - there were clear signs that the Conservatives had seriously upped their game since 2017 - but the deadline was tight, and the information we could get hold of was limited. We knew at some point we would need to dig deeper.

 

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Author: Katharine Pindar

Almost 80 years ago in November 1942, Sir William Beveridge, working for the coalition government during the Second World War, produced a report, Social Insurance and Allied Services. It promised, he said, “a comprehensive policy of social progress”, to restore the country when the war should end. He identified ‘five giants’ to be confronted on the road to reconstruction: Want, Disease, Squalor, Ignorance and Idleness. Being himself an expert in social insurance, he determined that all citizens should be assured of a sufficient income at all times, working or not, for a small weekly contribution. There would also be children’s allowances, and comprehensive medical treatment and rehabilitation, all to be paid for by the state.

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Author: Dr Julian Huppert

Liberalism is a powerful political philosophy. Liberals have been responsible for transforming society in the UK and around the world. However, liberal governments are few and far between, and there is no one alive in the UK who remembers a Liberal Government.

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Author: Stephen J Richmond

We worry about government spending, is it money well spent? Is it hurting the economy? What we rarely do is take a step back and remind ourselves of the logic behind those questions. Why do we worry about government spending and how should Liberals think about it in a way that maximises human Liberty? We normally agree some government spending is good, how do we tell the difference between "good" and "bad" spending?

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Author: Paul Hindley

From Trump’s America to Putin’s Russia and from Bolsonaro’s Brazil to the streets of Hong Kong, liberalism faces its greatest challenge in decades. The future of viable liberal democracy in some EU member states is in doubt, as Poland and Hungary lurch towards authoritarianism. While Brexit Britain has become the poster boy for the world’s populist nationalists.

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Author: Rabina Khan

Drug, Gang and Knife Crime is Not a Class Issue – It’s a Collective One

Tower Hamlets Councillor, Rabina Khan, argues we need to re-think our entire understanding of drug, gang and knife crime and to start hearing the voices of those whose lives are most affected.

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Author: Stuart White

What role for Citizens’ Assemblies?

 

Citizens’ Assemblies are receiving increased attention as a tool for addressing some of the most pressing problems facing us. Here the Oxford University academic, Stuart White examines the case for their use against the backdrop of a UK democracy that isn’t working.

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