On CRB portability, we’d like ideas on what this could mean in more detail and how we could take this forward – and yeah…we’re not proposing to become a komsomol.

those warm fuzzy german words, they remind me of sociology classes. i guess we’re only at the gemeinsam stage!

If you don’t mind, I’ll go point by point -

“But is it enough to bring together politicians from across the “progressive spectrum” to show our solidarity on issues like Heathrow or the living wage which portray that alternative narrative to the government?”

The answer, of course, is that it is not enough. However, the conference at the weekend wasn’t a love-in for lefties politicians. For one thing, the speakers weren’t just politicians, but experts, journalists and trades unionists. I’m not sure, either, that the ProLonCon was about expressing that solidarity, with the possible exception of the meeting on Gaza, even though those positions you mention received support from a lot of people.

“Is it enough to congratulate ourselves on getting such a massive turnout at the conference?”

From what I understand, turnout was something like two-and-one-half times what they were expecting. That’s good, but I don’t think it qualifies as ‘massive’ and I haven’t seen the unwarranted self-congratulation you suggest.

“People will be fairly interested in a range of issues but there’ll be one issues that really drives them – whether it’s Gaza or civil liberties”

Or, in my case, transport. Political parties act as an information heuristic and not everyone’s an expert, and noone’s an expert on everything.

“these wedge issues were all represented…but there was no mechanism for people to take these forward from the grassroots…”

Which is the problem I have with your position. I don’t think people were there for particular, ‘wedge’ issues as they are not all wedge issues. Indeed, I don’t think people came just to attend this session or the other, but to see what was going on in general.

“It slightly astonished me when Ken talked about all the networking to get this conference off the ground, but surely this should be the start of something not just the ultimate hangover cure from the elections?”

It is the start of something; that’s why low-cash but high-salience (no ads!) promotion, I’d say, was used. Given that we spent a lot of time talking about how to deal with things after the credit crunch, I don’t think you can fairly call this a ‘hangover cure from the elections’. There was, I think, only one psephological session.

“At our Compass Youth “young london” workshop, the room was packed out – with people but mainly with ideas – mentoring scheme for young people to get into green jobs, youth mayor for London with a capacity building budget, making CRB checks portable, a virtual youth club and cooperative schools.”

All great ideas. CRB portability is something I’ve heard talked about before; what did you have in mind beyond the current provisions?

“To be even more honest, the winning idea, making CRB checks portable to enable more people (young or old!) to take part in volunteering, isn’t something that we may have thought of on our NEC, but we committed to campaign on idea that won most votes and that’s what we’ll do. In fact, we’ll support people who want to take forward the other campaigns put forward.”

I think that’s great – really commendable. It also shows the value of people together in a forum like this. Ultimately, CY could lobby for a change in the law, help people use existing arrangements and so on, but I take it you’re not proposing to become a Komsomol.

“Why? Because if you give people an inch, they’ll give you a mile…oh, and because we enabled people to give us their email addresses so we can get in touch with them in doing this. It’s pretty basic, but if you ain’t got their contact details, how are you going to build a progressive coalition?”

Well, it depends on whether you see it as a gemeinschaft or a gesselschaft… but I guess the organisers have contact details for everyone.

Disclaimer – if this post makes no sense, it’s because the sleeping pill is kicking in.

xD.

But is it enough to bring together politicians from across the “progressive spectrum” to show our solidarity on issues like Heathrow or the living wage which portray that alternative narrative to the government? Is it enough to congratulate ourselves on getting such a massive turnout at the conference? People will be fairly interested in a range of issues but there’ll be one issues that really drives them – whether it’s Gaza or civil liberties – these wedge issues were all represented…but there was no mechanism for people to take these forward from the grassroots…

It slightly astonished me when Ken talked about all the networking to get this conference off the ground, but surely this should be the start of something not just the ultimate hangover cure from the elections?

At our Compass Youth “young london” workshop, the room was packed out – with people but mainly with ideas – mentoring scheme for young people to get into green jobs, youth mayor for London with a capacity building budget, making CRB checks portable, a virtual youth club and cooperative schools. To be honest, with an hour an half and with four exciting speakers that we were keen to listen to as well, as well as competing against other heavweight sessions at the same time, we were scared that either no-one would turn up or not many people would want to put forward, let alone work out together what campaigns we should take forward for young Londoners.

To be even more honest, the winning idea, making CRB checks portable to enable more people (young or old!) to take part in volunteering, isn’t something that we may have thought of on our NEC, but we committed to campaign on idea that won most votes and that’s what we’ll do. In fact, we’ll support people who want to take forward the other campaigns put forward.

Why? Because if you give people an inch, they’ll give you a mile…oh, and because we enabled people to give us their email addresses so we can get in touch with them in doing this. It’s pretty basic, but if you ain’t got their contact details, how are you going to build a progressive coalition?

xD.

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