Blue Labour
Encyclopedia
Blue Labour is an influential political tendency in the British Labour Party
that was "effectively disbanded" in July 2011 following remarks about immigration by Maurice Glasman, though political commentators argue that its ideas still have strong influence with the Labour leadership. The grouping advocates the belief that working class and 'squeezed middle' voters will be won back to Labour through more conservative
policies on certain social and international issues, such as immigration
and crime
, a rejection of neoliberal economics in favour of ideas from guild socialism
and continental corporatism
, and a switch to local and democratic community management and provision of services, rather than relying on a traditional welfare state
that is seen as excessively 'bureaucratic'.
. He called for "a new politics of reciprocity, mutuality and solidarity", an alternative to the post 1945 centralising approach of the Labour Party. The movement grew through a series of seminars held in University College, Oxford and at London Metropolitan University in the aftermath of Labour's general election defeat.
Blue Labour supporters criticised the New Labour administration of Tony Blair
for having an uncritical view of the market economy
, and that of Gordon Brown
for being uncritical of both the market and the state. John Cruddas argued that New Labour's focus on 'the progressive new' resulted in the party embracing "a dystopian, destructive neoliberalism
, cut loose from the traditions and history of Labour". Blue Labour suggests that abstract concepts of equality
and internationalism
have held back the Labour Party from linking with the real concerns of many voters, the concept of equality leading to an 'obsession with the postcode lottery
' and internationalism ignoring fears of low paid workers about immigration. Blue Labour, alternatively, emphasises the importance of democratic engagement and insists that the Labour Party should seek to reinvigorate its relationships with different communities across the nation, with an approach based on what historian Dominic Sandbrook
describes as "family, faith, and flag".
It's suggested that the name 'Blue Labour' came from a reaction to an opposite trend in the Conservative Party
called Red Tory
, but was also chosen to suggest a hint of sadness, nostalgia and loss. The philosophical basis of Blue Labour is a combination of Aristotelianism (especially the concept of virtue) with the critique of market society developed by the Hungarian economist Karl Polanyi
.
At a fringe meeting of the 2011 Labour Party Conference, Glasman reaffirmed his contraversial statements on immigration, argued for the closure of half of Britain's universities, and criticised the power of public sector trade unions.
, a Trotskyist
party, saw Blue Labour as an attempt to shift Labour further to the right on social issues, and as a mistaken concession to far right parties like the British National Party
over immigration
. Opponents of Blue Labour, like Billy Bragg
argue that the reason Labour is losing working class voters is not because of social conservatism
among working class people, but because of Labour's continuing attachment to free market
dogma
s and globalisation. Glasman rebuts this, arguing that Labour is not the Liberal Party, and that 'Blue Labour' criticises the domination of capital and promotes democratic Labour Movement
resistance to this domination based on a politics
of the common good
.
Blue Labour also had to respond to the criticism that it is lacking substance. In response, proponent of Blue Labour Marc Stears dismissed the criticisms as "self-evidently empty". According to Stears, Blue labour endorses: one simple principle "that our lives go well only when they are lived in sustainable relationship with others"; the idea people should come together to forge a common good; the idea that our common life improves when schools, hospitals and parks are open to all; the view that some on the left have a horror of cosiness in opposition to the more sensible 'politics of relationships'; and that it is the question of what we owe each other that should determine our moral lives.
Despite being endorsed by the Labour leadership, Blue Labour has received a lot of criticism from many within the party such as Tony Blair
, Peter Mandelson
, Diane Abbott
, Helen Goodman
, Roy Hattersley
and Billy Bragg
. According to the book Tangled Up in Blue it has also been attacked by feminists within the party and the deputy leader, Harriet Harman
has also been concerned about Maurice Glasman and Blue Labour's influence within the party's direction.
's Big Society
, the "big idea" that might even "define Miliband's leadership". Glasman has been described as Miliband's "Guru
" by right wing political commentator Matthew D'Ancona
, who suggests that while the party may not adopt the full programme of Blue Labour (particularly its criticisms of consumerism
and globalisation), the trend is helping "the Labour leader forge a language in which to express his championship of the NHS
"
This is a collection of articles by Glasman, Stears, and Rutherford, and commentaries by many leading Labour figures, including David Miliband
, David Lammy
, Hazel Blears
and Jon Cruddas
, which looks at the way an attachment to neoliberalism
and globalisation cut Labour off from some of its community traditions and ignored the importance of human relations.
The book has a supportive preface by Labour Leader Ed Miliband
, who states
The book, Tangled Up in Blue
, by Rowenna Davis explores the extent of Blue Labour's influence within the Labour Party
and how Maurice Glasman's ideas influenced the leadership campaigns of both Ed Miliband
and his brother, David
. It talks of how Maurice Glasman was initially working for David Miliband
's campaign and put forward ideas on much more community devolution and the Movement for Change
. It alleges that the living wage
campaign masterminded by Ed Miliband's supporters was as a result of Maurice Glasman offering help to the party. It also suggests Maurice Glasman used ties with Stewart Wood
and Patrick Diamond
to put forward Blue Labour ideas in labour's 2010 manifesto such as community land trusts and a living wage
as well as writing Gordon Brown
's speech. The book further reveals alleged links between Maurice Glasman and Phillip Blond
and similarities between their politics as well as how Glasman and Blond were cooperatiing together to promote their "radical conservatism" with both Labour and Conservative Parties.
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
that was "effectively disbanded" in July 2011 following remarks about immigration by Maurice Glasman, though political commentators argue that its ideas still have strong influence with the Labour leadership. The grouping advocates the belief that working class and 'squeezed middle' voters will be won back to Labour through more conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
policies on certain social and international issues, such as immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
and crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
, a rejection of neoliberal economics in favour of ideas from guild socialism
Guild socialism
Guild socialism is a political movement advocating workers' control of industry through the medium of trade-related guilds. It originated in the United Kingdom and was at its most influential in the first quarter of the 20th century. It was strongly associated with G. D. H...
and continental corporatism
Corporatism
Corporatism, also known as corporativism, is a system of economic, political, or social organization that involves association of the people of society into corporate groups, such as agricultural, business, ethnic, labor, military, patronage, or scientific affiliations, on the basis of common...
, and a switch to local and democratic community management and provision of services, rather than relying on a traditional welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
that is seen as excessively 'bureaucratic'.
Leading figures
Leading figures in the trend included:- Maurice Glasman, a Reader in political theory at London Metropolitan UniversityLondon Metropolitan UniversityLondon Metropolitan University , located in London, England, was formed on 1 August 2002 by the amalgamation of the University of North London and the London Guildhall University . The University has campuses in the City of London and in the London Borough of Islington.The University operates its...
who was recently elevated to the House of LordsHouse of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
by the Monarch at the request of Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
leader Ed MilibandEd MilibandEdward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
to take the title "Baron Glasman of Stoke Newington and Stamford Hill in the London Borough of Hackney".
- James PurnellJames PurnellJames Mark Dakin Purnell is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Stalybridge and Hyde from 2001 to 2010. He is currently the Head of the Open Left project at the left leaning think tank Demos...
, a former Secretary of State for Work and PensionsSecretary of State for Work and PensionsThe Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a post in the British Cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. It was created on 8 June 2001 by the merger of the Employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security.The Ministry...
, chairman of the Insitute for Public Policy Research and close friend of Jon CruddasJon CruddasJonathan Cruddas is a British Labour Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham. He was first elected in 2001 to the seat of Dagenham....
and Maurice Glasman.
- Jon CruddasJon CruddasJonathan Cruddas is a British Labour Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham. He was first elected in 2001 to the seat of Dagenham....
, an influential Labour backbencherBackbencherIn Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
.
- Marc StearsMarc StearsMarc Stears is a British political thinker and Professor of Political Theory and Fellow of University College, Oxford. His published works have focussed mainly on the development of progressive political movements in the UK and the USA...
, a political philosopher at University College, OxfordUniversity College, Oxford.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
and university friend of Ed MilibandEd MilibandEdward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
and member of the Institute for Public Policy ResearchInstitute for Public Policy ResearchThe IPPR is the leading progressive think-tank in the UK. It produces research and policy ideas committed to upholding values of social justice, democratic reform and environmental sustainability. IPPR is based in London and IPPR North has branches in Newcastle and Manchester.It was founded in...
.
- Jonathan Rutherford, professor of Cultural studiesCultural studiesCultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural...
at Middlesex UniversityMiddlesex UniversityMiddlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
, and editor of SoundingsSoundings (journal)Soundings is a journal of political thought which has been published since 1995. It describes its aim as "contributing to the process of left renewal" and is published in London by Lawrence & Wishart...
.
- Chuka UmunnaChuka UmunnaChuka Harrison Umunna is a British Labour Party politician and employment lawyer. He has been the Member of Parliament for Streatham since 2010. After less than 18 months in Parliament, he was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Business Secretary by Labour Leader Ed Miliband on 7 October 2011...
, the Labour MP for StreathamStreatham (UK Parliament constituency)Streatham is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
and Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Ideas
Glasman launched Blue Labour in April 2009 at a meeting in Conway Hall, BloomsburyBloomsbury
-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland...
. He called for "a new politics of reciprocity, mutuality and solidarity", an alternative to the post 1945 centralising approach of the Labour Party. The movement grew through a series of seminars held in University College, Oxford and at London Metropolitan University in the aftermath of Labour's general election defeat.
Blue Labour supporters criticised the New Labour administration of Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
for having an uncritical view of the market economy
Market economy
A market economy is an economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system. This is often contrasted with a state-directed or planned economy. Market economies can range from hypothetically pure laissez-faire variants to an assortment of real-world mixed...
, and that of Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
for being uncritical of both the market and the state. John Cruddas argued that New Labour's focus on 'the progressive new' resulted in the party embracing "a dystopian, destructive neoliberalism
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
, cut loose from the traditions and history of Labour". Blue Labour suggests that abstract concepts of equality
Equality
Equality may refer to:Social concepts* Egalitarianism, the belief that all/some people ought to be treated equally* Equality before the law* Equal opportunity* Equality of outcome or equality of condition* Gender equality* Racial equality...
and internationalism
Internationalism (politics)
Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all...
have held back the Labour Party from linking with the real concerns of many voters, the concept of equality leading to an 'obsession with the postcode lottery
Postcode lottery
In the United Kingdom, the term postcode lottery refers to the way the allocation of postcodes, which often bears little relation to local government boundaries, can affect such things as insurance prices...
' and internationalism ignoring fears of low paid workers about immigration. Blue Labour, alternatively, emphasises the importance of democratic engagement and insists that the Labour Party should seek to reinvigorate its relationships with different communities across the nation, with an approach based on what historian Dominic Sandbrook
Dominic Sandbrook
Dominic Sandbrook http://dominicsandbrook.com/wordpress/about/ is a British historian. Born in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, he was educated at Malvern College...
describes as "family, faith, and flag".
It's suggested that the name 'Blue Labour' came from a reaction to an opposite trend in the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
called Red Tory
Red Tory
A red Tory is an adherent of a particular political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada somewhat similar to the High Tory tradition in the United Kingdom; it is contrasted with "blue Tory". In Canada, the phenomenon of "red toryism" has fundamentally, if not exclusively, been found in...
, but was also chosen to suggest a hint of sadness, nostalgia and loss. The philosophical basis of Blue Labour is a combination of Aristotelianism (especially the concept of virtue) with the critique of market society developed by the Hungarian economist Karl Polanyi
Karl Polanyi
Karl Paul Polanyi was a Hungarian philosopher, political economist and economic anthropologist known for his opposition to traditional economic thought and his book The Great Transformation...
.
At a fringe meeting of the 2011 Labour Party Conference, Glasman reaffirmed his contraversial statements on immigration, argued for the closure of half of Britain's universities, and criticised the power of public sector trade unions.
Criticisms
The Socialist PartySocialist Party (England and Wales)
The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today...
, a Trotskyist
Trotskyism
Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
party, saw Blue Labour as an attempt to shift Labour further to the right on social issues, and as a mistaken concession to far right parties like the British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
over immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
. Opponents of Blue Labour, like Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
argue that the reason Labour is losing working class voters is not because of social conservatism
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
among working class people, but because of Labour's continuing attachment to free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
dogma
Dogma
Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers...
s and globalisation. Glasman rebuts this, arguing that Labour is not the Liberal Party, and that 'Blue Labour' criticises the domination of capital and promotes democratic Labour Movement
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
resistance to this domination based on a politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
of the common good
Common good
The common good is a term that can refer to several different concepts. In the popular meaning, the common good describes a specific "good" that is shared and beneficial for all members of a given community...
.
Blue Labour also had to respond to the criticism that it is lacking substance. In response, proponent of Blue Labour Marc Stears dismissed the criticisms as "self-evidently empty". According to Stears, Blue labour endorses: one simple principle "that our lives go well only when they are lived in sustainable relationship with others"; the idea people should come together to forge a common good; the idea that our common life improves when schools, hospitals and parks are open to all; the view that some on the left have a horror of cosiness in opposition to the more sensible 'politics of relationships'; and that it is the question of what we owe each other that should determine our moral lives.
Despite being endorsed by the Labour leadership, Blue Labour has received a lot of criticism from many within the party such as Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
, Diane Abbott
Diane Abbott
Diane Julie Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, when she became the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons...
, Helen Goodman
Helen Goodman
Helen Catherine Goodman is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Bishop Auckland since 2005, and was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for in the Department for Work and Pensions until 2010 with responsibility for Child Poverty and childcare.-Early...
, Roy Hattersley
Roy Hattersley
Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...
and Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
. According to the book Tangled Up in Blue it has also been attacked by feminists within the party and the deputy leader, Harriet Harman
Harriet Harman
Harriet Ruth Harman QC is a British Labour Party politician, who is the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, and was MP for the predecessorPeckham constituency from 1982 to 1997...
has also been concerned about Maurice Glasman and Blue Labour's influence within the party's direction.
Influence
Some commentators suggested that Blue Labour could be a potential alternative to David CameronDavid Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
's Big Society
Big Society
The Big Society was the flagship policy idea of the 2010 UK Conservative Party general election manifesto. It now forms part of the legislative programme of the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement. The aim is "to create a climate that empowers local people and communities, building...
, the "big idea" that might even "define Miliband's leadership". Glasman has been described as Miliband's "Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
" by right wing political commentator Matthew D'Ancona
Matthew d'Ancona
Matthew d'Ancona is a British journalist. A former deputy editor of The Sunday Telegraph, he was appointed editor of The Spectator in February 2006, a post he retained until August 2009.-Early life:...
, who suggests that while the party may not adopt the full programme of Blue Labour (particularly its criticisms of consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
and globalisation), the trend is helping "the Labour leader forge a language in which to express his championship of the NHS
National Health Service (England)
The National Health Service or NHS is the publicly funded healthcare system in England. It is both the largest and oldest single-payer healthcare system in the world. It is able to function in the way that it does because it is primarily funded through the general taxation system, similar to how...
"
Key publications
The Labour Tradition and the Politics of Paradox; The Oxford London Seminars, 2010-2011. Eds Maurice Glasman, Jonathan Rutherford, Marc Stears, Stuart White.This is a collection of articles by Glasman, Stears, and Rutherford, and commentaries by many leading Labour figures, including David Miliband
David Miliband
David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
, David Lammy
David Lammy
David Lindon Lammy is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Tottenham since 2000.Lammy has commented on Britain's history of slavery.-Early life and Education:...
, Hazel Blears
Hazel Blears
Hazel Anne Blears is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Salford and Eccles since 2010 and was previously the MP for Salford since 1997...
and Jon Cruddas
Jon Cruddas
Jonathan Cruddas is a British Labour Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham. He was first elected in 2001 to the seat of Dagenham....
, which looks at the way an attachment to neoliberalism
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
and globalisation cut Labour off from some of its community traditions and ignored the importance of human relations.
The book has a supportive preface by Labour Leader Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
, who states
The book, Tangled Up in Blue
Tangled Up in Blue (2011 book)
Tangled up in Blue is a 2011 politics book by the journalist and politician Rowenna Davis. The work tracks the emergence of Blue Labour , a movement within the UK Labor party which seeks to promote active citizenship and to champion traditional community values...
, by Rowenna Davis explores the extent of Blue Labour's influence within the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and how Maurice Glasman's ideas influenced the leadership campaigns of both Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
and his brother, David
David Miliband
David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
. It talks of how Maurice Glasman was initially working for David Miliband
David Miliband
David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
's campaign and put forward ideas on much more community devolution and the Movement for Change
Movement for Change
The Movement for Change also known as Change List or Gorran is a reformist Iraqi Kurdish political party under the leadership of Nawshirwan Mustafa, founded in 2009 it is the official opposition to the ruling two-party coalition of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan...
. It alleges that the living wage
Living wage
In public policy, a living wage is the minimum hourly income necessary for a worker to meet basic needs . These needs include shelter and other incidentals such as clothing and nutrition...
campaign masterminded by Ed Miliband's supporters was as a result of Maurice Glasman offering help to the party. It also suggests Maurice Glasman used ties with Stewart Wood
Stewart Wood, Baron Wood of Anfield
Stewart Martin Wood, Baron Wood of Anfield Stewart Martin Wood, Baron Wood of Anfield Stewart Martin Wood, Baron Wood of Anfield (born 25 March 1968 is a British academic and Labour life peer in the House of Lords.A politics tutor at Magdalen College, Oxford University and a member of the...
and Patrick Diamond
Patrick Diamond
Patrick Diamond worked as a policy advisor under the Labour Party government of the United Kingdom in a role covering policy and strategy. He was previously a Senior Research Fellow at the International Think Tank Policy Network, where he had been previously the Director. He has previously worked...
to put forward Blue Labour ideas in labour's 2010 manifesto such as community land trusts and a living wage
Living wage
In public policy, a living wage is the minimum hourly income necessary for a worker to meet basic needs . These needs include shelter and other incidentals such as clothing and nutrition...
as well as writing Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
's speech. The book further reveals alleged links between Maurice Glasman and Phillip Blond
Phillip Blond
Phillip Blond is an English political thinker, Anglican and theologian, and director of the think tank ResPublica.He gained prominence from a cover story in Prospect magazine in the February 2009 edition with his essay on Red Toryism, which proposed a radical communitarian traditionalist...
and similarities between their politics as well as how Glasman and Blond were cooperatiing together to promote their "radical conservatism" with both Labour and Conservative Parties.