Pragmatic Radicalism « Labour Uncut

Posts Tagged ‘Pragmatic Radicalism’

LAPEL – a way forward for increasing the participation of local communities in the rehabilitation of ex-offenders

06/09/2012, 04:31:25 PM

Last week Json Keto Edwards won the “top of the policies” vote at Pragmatic Radicalism’s event on local government in Southwark. The winning proposal tackled the question of how to bes tsupport ex-offenders.

LAPEL stands for the Life After Prison Employment League. It is a policy proposal that offers a new way to re-integrate ex-offenders into the community, and, critically, prevent re-offending.

Punishments vary in degree when the courts assess punitive sanctions but in reality, a conviction is a conviction no matter how petty or serious the issue.

Finding employment is naturally not an easy task, but when an individual has a previous conviction be it spent or unspent it is an even taller order. We all now live in a world where most employers including professional bodies demand to know if a prospective employee has any convictions.

The irony about this question is that when such information is disclosed, chances are the individual does not make the shortlist. If not disclosed before employment it may form the basis of a later dispute or sacking following such appointment.

As an employer who has employed people with previous convictions, I have found these individuals worthy candidates with a strong desire to want to prove themselves deserving of the opportunity given them. I also believe that a legacy founded on employers supporting this group would only serve to reduce re-offending.

Based on this experience, my organisation Chainges Today is leading calls for a new approach to supporting ex-offenders. We believe LAPEL could be a vital tool in rehabilitating and re-settling ex-offenders.

The programme would involve an accreditation that can be displayed by employers showing their social responsibility in supporting the rehabilitation of ex-offenders.

Ex-offenders would be able to qualify for a parallel certification that would demonstrate their commitment to rehabilitation and could be presented to potential employers.

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Time for policy in the pub, Southwark style

01/09/2012, 08:00:37 AM

Hear ye, hear ye, good people of the London Borough of Southwark. What are you doing this afternoon?

Finish the shopping early, forget about the football results (it’s barely September, you know it means nothing) and get yourself along to the Roebuck pub (upstairs) on Great Dover street SE1 at 4pm for a world premiere.

Yes, it’s the first local government policy in the pub.

You know the format:- 90 seconds for folk to present a policy idea, in this case for the glorious Borough of Southwark, followed by 3 minutes Q&A. After all the ideas have been aired and discussed, you get to vote on the best.

But here’s the twist.

The event will be chaired by mayor Althea Smith and council leader Peter John will be on hand to respond to the best ideas.

You read right. You’ll be able to speak the truth to power. Shake the hand of power. Maybe even hear a reasoned and cogent response from power to your ideas.

So what are you waiting for? Make the arrangements, sort the kids and get down to Roebuck at 4.

And you can have a fully justified early pint into the bargain.

What’s not to like? See you in the pub.

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Towards a real housing revolution: reforming tenure in the private rented sector

17/08/2012, 06:08:47 PM

In May, Romin Sutherland was one of the winners in the” Top of the Policies” vote at Pragmatic Radicalism’s event on housing, with a proposal to reform assured shorthold tenancies

At a time of economic recession, when social house building is at an all-time low and cheap credit is no longer available for most first time buyers, those groups who in better days would have accessed social housing or benefited from more equitable house price to income ratios will increasingly find themselves locked into a cycle of private renting. In order to ensure that the private rented sector (PRS) is up to the task of housing a growing and ageing population, I am advocating a reform of the current assured shorthold tenancy (AST), which would increase security of tenure beyond the present 6 month minimum, towards one where most private tenants who pay their rent on time and play by the rules are rewarded with long term sustainable tenancies.

If we were to ensure that the PRS was both an affordable and long term option, there would be fewer reasons for households to hold out for social housing. This would lower waiting times and allow local authorities to focus their energies on the neediest without the resentment that often comes from those who feel excluded.

Anyone working within the advice or local government sectors will be aware of the dangers inherent within complaining about disrepair and maintenance issues. Not only is this likely to receive little or no attention from the local environmental health authority, it is also likely to see an unscrupulous landlord claiming possession of the property; the so-called “retaliatory eviction”.

If tenants had increased security of tenure, they could enforce their rights without the fear of being evicted. As time passed and the worst offenders would realise that they could no longer shirk their responsibilities; they may become more proactive about maintenance and emergency repairs, thus reducing the need for enforcement at all.

As tenants are provided with more of a stake in where they live, I would expect to see an increase in tenants’ rights groups acting as advocates and brokers, and taking the lead on community issues. As tenant groups grow more powerful, this would increase their collective bargaining power and allow them an opportunity to inform decision making in a democratic way.

It would then be up to the tenants and landlords to decide amongst themselves what they most desired; new windows or cheaper rents.

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State schools need alumni networks every bit as much as private schools

15/08/2012, 02:55:01 PM

In January, Jake Hayman – Director of Future First – won the” Top of the Policies” vote at Pragmatic Radicalism’s event on skills chaired by Michael White of the Guardian, with the idea of creating an alumni network for every state school in the country.

Future First’s vision is that every state school should be supported by a thriving, engaged alumni community that helps each school to do more for its students.

State school alumni are no less likely to want to “give back” than private school alumni. It’s just that state schools haven’t traditionally been so good at asking. Future First is changing that.

Future First’s own research shows that 39% of 16 to 19 year olds who went to a state school do not know anyone in a job they’d like to do. Yet, there’s an untapped pool of over 10 million UK adults who would be willing to return to their old schools to talk about work or higher education. Future First was founded in 2009 to help reconnect former students with their old school’s community as role models for current students. Successful alumni return to school to raise awareness of the huge range of possibilities for success in the world of work and the key skills needed to achieve it.

We know it works. 75% of students at our in-school alumni events say that hearing from alumni in jobs made them want to work harder in their lessons.

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It’s time for a “victims law” where the state recognises its obligation to homicide victims

18/07/2012, 07:00:41 AM

Last week David Hines won the “top of the policies” vote at Pragmatic Radicalism’s justice/constitutional reform event, chaired by Sadiq Khan MP, shadow justice secretary. The winning proposal was for a “victims’ law”

Almost twenty years ago, my wife Kathy and I fought a painful 3 year court battle to adopt our infant grandson.

The boy had been left parentless when his mother was killed and his father was sent to prison… for committing the murder.

Three years seems like an eternity for people trying to rescue a victimized child from the social services system. The ordeal seemed even more unnecessarily lengthy (and outrageously expensive) since we were the boy’s blood relatives; his murdered mother was our own daughter.

The victims of murder live a lifetime of pain and anguish. At the corner pub, people whisper about them from the next table over. Neighbours drop off flowers and then look away. Lifelong friends, never sure what to say or afraid to seem happy in front of people in perpetual mourning, fade away.

We were extremely hurt by how the system us down – not only through the painstaking adoption process but also during the trial and criminal conviction process.

My anger grew when I saw my daughter’s murderer benefiting from the social service system (appointed counsel, fed, clothed, housed, and treated humanely). That’s where the tax payer’s money is going. The granting of legal aid to a murderer and the refusal of aid to the victims’ family was an injustice and insult.

The system’s betrayal was particularly pointed for me, because, as an elected magistrate, I had been a proud part of the mechanism of justice. I was supposed to be the knowledgeable one. I was working in the system.

It made me feel that everything in this awful situation was geared for the criminal not the victims.

That’s why I founded the National Victim’s Association and why I went to the Pragmatic Radicalism “top of the policies” event to propose a new policy for Labour: a “victims law”

This would create a legal and statutory obligation to care for the victims of homicide that raise children resulting from a murder or manslaughter.

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Time for policy in the pub with Sadiq Khan

09/07/2012, 07:27:19 PM

The government might be engaged in a slow motion, policy car crash over Lords reform, but could you do better? Really?

OK, it’s highly likely that Stevie Wonder at the wheel of a McLaren, going the wrong way round the Hanger Lane Gyratory System, would be a case study in safety compared to the attempts of this government’s business managers to steer Lords reform through parliament. But how much better could you do?

Well, here’s your chance to show the world. It’s that time of the month again. It’s policy in the pub with the Pragmatic Radicalism funsters. This month, the topic is justice and constitutional reform with our shadow justice secretary, Sadiq Khan in the chair.

You know the format – 90 seconds on your policy idea, quick-fire questions and then the popular vote. It will all be happening tomorrow night, the 10^th of July, at the Barley Mow Pub (upstairs restaurant), 104 Horseferry Road, Westminster, London, SW1P 2EE, between 1900 and 2100.

The winning idea will be automatically adopted as the first policy in Labour’s next manifesto.

Alright, that last bit isn’t quite true. But the winner does get a slot on Uncut to share their insight with the viewing public, so that’s nearly as good.

See you in the pub.

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We need a better deal on the buses

20/06/2012, 01:39:07 PM

by Amanda Ramsay

Last week Amanda Ramsay won the “top of the policies” vote at Pragmatic Radicalism’s future of transport event, chaired by Maria Eagle MP, shadow transport secretary. The winning proposal was for a “Better Deal on the Buses”, to bring buses under a new regulatory framework.

Having worked in four UK cities: Bristol, Manchester, Plymouth and London; I have seen first-hand the huge differences in public transport available in different parts of the country. As a Bristol resident and campaigner, the contrast with London is nothing short of shameful.

Decent, affordable bus services are essential for any sense of social mobility and access to health care, jobs, leisure facilities, shops and family and friends, but too often are expensive and not efficient enough in terms of routes and regularity.

Bus route availability and costs in cities like Bristol and Glasgow could be overseen and controlled by the local authority and elected representatives, in a similar way Transport for London runs the capital’s bus system, where residents are well served across the whole city and pay just £1.35 a journey using Oyster, a pre-charged electronic swipe card. Prices are also capped.

In Bristol, it is often cheaper to get a taxi than to hop on a bus, for a family or group of friends. This is crazy, especially, for a city with bad air quality from high car usage with higher than average asthma rates, stemming from its basin-like geographical location. This is an environmental issue as well as a social policy imperative.

Looking forward to 2015, we need to demand a better deal on the buses; a better, cheaper, more efficient bus system that is all about social mobility and getting Britain working.

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Time for policy in the pub with Jack Dromey

23/05/2012, 03:06:07 PM

It’s that time of the month again. Pragmatic Radicalism is hosting a “Top of the Policies” session on housing, chaired by shadow housing minister Jack Dromey, tonight, in the pub. The fun and games will run from 18.30 to 20.30 upstairs at the Barley Mow pub, 104 Horseferry Road, SW1P 2EE.

The “Top of the Policies” debates are designed to make the floor accessible to as many Labour voices as possible: speakers have just 90 seconds to speak on a policy proposal of their choice, followed by three minutes of Q&A.

At the end of the session there is a vote for the top policy, prizes and the winner will go on to set out their idea in all it’s glory in an article right here, in the hallowed pixels of Labour Uncut.

Yes, wow indeed.

And failing all else, there are free refreshments. What more could you ask for?

See you in the pub.

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Broadband of brothers: citizen soldiers and cyber warriors

23/04/2012, 07:30:37 AM

by Dan Fox

Dan Fox’s skills-focussed ‘Cyber Reserves’ proposal won the Pragmatic Radicalism Defence Top of The Policies, last month.

An active national security policy is an expensive business. So given how uncertain our world has become, in terms of both the economy and the threats we face, and how active our armed forces have been this last decade, it is not surprising that defence is permanently at the top of the political agenda. Last October’s Strategic Defence and Security Review has been followed by Labour’s own consultation.

But one of the most significant initiatives of recent times has received relatively little attention outside of military circles: Future Reserves 2020 (FR20).

With conscription and national service distant memories in the UK, the military reserve no longer occupies a place in the popular imagination similar to that in countries (such as America , Canada, Israel and some of our European partners) where citizen soldiering is more commonplace.

The citizen soldier is a complex concept, with a millennia-old tradition. It is grounded in the idea that the diversity, effort and volunteer commitment of all can be mobilised in defence of communities, societies and nations when required, or kept prepared in reserve.

To be sure, for many who have not chosen a regular military career in the first place, the commitment to training and then serving even part-time with the army, navy or air force to defend our land, sea and air, is problematic. There is, however, another environment where dealing with the dangers we face requires a range of experience and approaches.

Protecting cyberspace is not just a military responsibility, but a Cyber Reserve, based on the principles of civilian volunteers already entrenched in the current reserve forces, can have a crucial role to play.

Even the most diligent of military observers is unlikely to be familiar with the Special Works Teams of the Royal Engineers, covering railways, power, fuel, water, ports and construction. But, comprised of reservists with relevant civilian qualifications and careers, these units have, since the 1960s, contributed to the construction and protection of critical infrastructures.

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Sunday review on Tuesday: Pragmatic Radicalism’s defence “top of the policies”

27/03/2012, 05:48:12 PM

by Amanda Ramsay

Affecting party policy should be more about ideas and innovation than shabby promises to open-up the Downing street policy unit for £250,000. This is what Pragmatic Radicalism offers Labour members and last night it hosted the first event of Labour’s defence policy review with Labour Friends of the Forces.

Chairing was shadow secretary of state for defence, Jim Murphy MP, with speakers having just two minutes to present ideas as complex as the reform of NATO and UN Security Council to the complete overhaul of the territorial army. Two minutes of questions from the floor for each person was then followed by a vote at the end.

Security and resilience issues in a globalised and highly networked world were tackled by the winner, Dan Fox, UCL honorary research associate at the Institute for Security & Resilience Studies, with “cyber reserves: strength through expertise.”

Fox, a serving JNCO in the Territorial Army, outlined the need to have a dedicated cyber Reserve supported by cyber apprenticeships, co-ordinated by the ministry of defence and with greater collaboration between FE colleges and ICT practitioners. Fox presented the common sense but intriguing notion of “white hatting” hackers, to turn their expertise and skills to do good.

Speaking to Labour Uncut last night, Fox said: “No party has a monopoly on caring about and promoting the best policies for our armed forces. Pragmatic Radicalism’s defence ‘top of the policies’ evening showed that we in Labour have the ideas, experience and commitment to ensure our national security, and support our servicemen and women.”

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