The Progressive Century The Future of the Centre-Left in Britain

Can Labour and the Liberal Democrats redefine politics to make the 21st Century a progressive century? Can the centre-left find a common cause to tackle the alienation from politics, the globalisation of power, the need to modernise public services and the will to face up to the environmental challenges? Will the centre-left unite to change the voting system and win the case for Britain entering the single currency? Will the centre-left give real priority to family life and the tackling of discrimination against women? These are some of the questions that are tackled in this topical and controversial book, which brings together leading politicians, journalists, academics and thinkers. Contributors include Robin Cook, Menzies Campbell, Lord Ashdown, Harriet Harman, Ruth Kelly, Peter Mandelson, Don MacIntyre, Steve Richards, Anna Coote, Polly Toynbee, Matthew Taylor, Kirsty Milne, Don Foster and Chris Huhne.

Foreword by Roy Jenkins Introduction: The Progressive Century: Ours to Make; N.Lawson & N.Sherlock PART I: THE CASE AND THE PROSPECTS FOR PROGRESSIVE POLITICS Liberalism and Social Democracy; T.Wright The Threat of the Right; S.Twigg & A.Pakes Do Two Tribes Have to War?; D.MacIntyre Blair's Progressive Paradox; S.Richards Is There a Progressive Electorate?; D.Cowling PART II: GIVING GOVERNMENT LEGITIMACY: NEW STRUCTURES AND CULTURE FOR A NEW CENTURY The Second Wave of Constitutional Reform; P.Giddy The Sociological Foundations of Pluralist Politics; M.Rustin Politics with a Purpose: Reforming the House of Commons; P.Riddell & G.Power A Third Sector as Well as a Third Way; O.Grender & K.Parminter Scotland: An Experiment in New Politics; K.Milne Progressive Councils: The Case for Collaborative Local Politics; D.Sullivan & A.Stevens PART III: THE ISSUES FOR THE NEW CENTURY Progressive Economics: Trust the People; C.Huhne The Globalisation of Power; Lord Ashdown Socialising Markets; P.Collins Making Society Just; D.Foster Sustaining Development; R.Levett Feminism Finds a Foothold in the Centre-Left; H.Harman Family Policy: Opening Up Choice; R.Kelly More Health, Less Service; A.Coote Europe and the New Politics; R.Cook & M.Campbell PART IV: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION - Will Hutton, Polly Toynbee, Mark Oaten, Matthew Taylor, Ruth Lister, Philip Dodd, Calum Macdonald & David Marquand Endpiece by Peter Mandelson Index

RT. HON. SIR PADDY ASHDOWN KBE Member of Parliament MING CAMPBELL Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Defence PHILIP COLLINS Director, Social Market Foundation ROBIN COOK Foreign Secretary ANNA COOTE Director, Public Health Programme, King's Fund, London DAVID COWLING Political Analyst PHILIP DODD Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts DON FOSTER Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Bath PAM GIDDY Director of Charter 88 OLLY GRENDER Public Affairs Consultant HARRIET HARMAN Labour Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham CHRIS HUHNE Member of the European Parliament WILL HUTTON Chief Executive Officer, Industrial Society RUTH KELLY Member of Parliament for Bolton West ROGER LEVETT Director of CAG Consultants RUTH LISTER CBE Professor of Social Policy, Loughborough University CALUM MACDONALD Labour Member of Parliament for the Western Isles DONALD MACINTYRE Chief Political Commentator, the Independent DAVID MARQUAND Principal, Mansfield College, Oxford KIRSTY MILNE Political Commentator for the Scotsman MARK OATEN Member of Parliament and PPS to Charles Kennedy ANDREW PAKES Director, New Politics Network KATE PARMINTER Director of CPRE GREG POWER Director, Hansard Society's Parliament and Government Programme STEVE RICHARDS Chief Political Commentator at the Independent PETER RIDDELL Political Columnist and Commentator, The Times MICHAEL RUSTIN Professor of Sociology, University of East London ANDREW STEVENS Labour's Political Assistant, London Borough of Lewisham DAVE SULLIVAN Mayor for Lewisham MATTHEW TAYLOR Director, Institute for Public Policy Research POLLY TOYNBEE Columnist on the Guardian and Radio Times STEPHEN TWIGG Member of Parliament for Enfield Southgate TONY WRIGHT Labour Member of Parliament for Cannock Chase