Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
n the final session of the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference on 6 May 2022, Dr Robert Saunders was joined by Lord Mandelson to talk about his time as Neil Kinnock's Director of Communications, his ministerial career during Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's premierships, and his reflections on the state of the Labour Party in 2022.
Topic:
Governance, Domestic Politics, Domestic Policy, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In the third panel session of the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference, Dr Lise Butler, Harry Quilter-Pinner, Professor Eunice Goes and Labour MPs, Rupa Huq and Stella Creasy, answer questions from our in-person audience on 'Where Next for the Labour Party'.
Topic:
Governance, Domestic Politics, Opposition, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In this panel event from the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference, Professor Eunice Goes considers the position that the Labour Party finds itself in today and asks where next for the Party under Keir Starmer's leadership.
Topic:
Governance, Domestic Politics, Opposition, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In this panel event from the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference, Stella Creasy (MP for Walthamstow) considers the position that the Labour Party finds itself in today, reflects on the state of British politics in 2022 and asks where next for the Party under Keir Starmer's leadership.
Topic:
Governance, Domestic Politics, Opposition, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In this panel event from the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference, Harry Quilter-Pinner from the Institute for Public Policy Research considers the position that the Labour Party finds itself in today and asks where next for the Party under Keir Starmer's leadership.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In this panel event from the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference, Rupa Huq (MP for Ealing Central and Acton) considers the position that the Labour Party finds itself in today and reflects on her time in Parliament since 2015 and her years of involvement in Labour politics.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In this panel event from the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference, Dr Lise Butler considers the position that the Labour Party finds itself in today and asks where next for the Party under Keir Starmer's leadership.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
Following a panel discussion at the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference, Polly Toynbee, Will Hutton and Sunder Katwala answer questions from our in-person audience about the extent to which New Labour effected a 'Blair Revolution' in British politics.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In this panel discussion from the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference, Will Hutton reflects on the achievements and failings of Tony Blair's governments and considers whether he affected a 'Blair Revolution' in British politics and society.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
n this panel discussion from the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference, Sunder Katwala considers whether there was a 'Blair Revolution' in British politics, how the Blair-Brown administrations changed Britain and how important identity has been to contemporary political discourse.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, Transition, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In this panel event from the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference, Polly Toynbee considers whether there was a 'Blair Revolution' in British politics and reflects on her own experiences of campaigning and reporting during the 1980s and 1990s.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
n his Keynote Address to the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference, the former Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, explores the significance of the 1997 Election and the New Labour 'Project', before considering what the Labour Party can learn from 1997 twenty-five years on.
Topic:
Governance, Elections, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
Following his Keynote Address to the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference on Friday 6 May 2022, David Miliband took questions from our in-person audience about his time in both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's governments as well as his thoughts on the future of the Labour Party.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
On Friday 6 May 2022, Professor Matthew Hilton (Vice Principal for Humanities and Social Sciences) introduces the Rt Hon David Miliband, who delivered the Keynote Address at the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference to mark the 25th anniversary of New Labour's landslide victory in the 1997 General Election.
Topic:
Governance, Elections, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
n the first session of the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference on 'Modernisation and Change in the 1997 Campaign', Dame Margaret Hodge reflects on the fall-out from the Wilson and Callaghan governments, how the Labour Party changed before 1997 and the contribution of Local Government to New Labour's landslide in May 1997.
Topic:
Governance, Elections, Leadership, Local, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In the first session of the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference on 'Modernisation and Change in the 1997 Campaign', the journalist, John McTernan, reflects on the significance of the 1997 election and his time as Director of Political Operations for Tony Blair from 2005 to 2007.
Topic:
Governance, Elections, Leadership, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In the first session of the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference on 'Modernisation and Change in the 1997 campaign', Professor Sarah Childs reflects on the 'watershed' importance of New Labour in advancing the number of women in Parliament and considers whether New Labour fundamentally changed how women feel about politics and Britain's political institutions.
Topic:
Governance, Domestic Politics, Feminism, Gender, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In the first session of the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference on 'Modernisation and Change in the 1997 Campaign', the former MP for Don Valley, Caroline Flint, reflects on how New Labour changed the Labour Party and her experiences serving in the Blair and Brown governments.
Topic:
Governance, Elections, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In this presentation, Professor Tim Bale explores the result of the 1997 General Election and considers how New Labour changed the electoral geography of the United Kingdom.
Topic:
Governance, Elections, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In his introduction to the Mile End Institute's New Labour, New Britain conference on Friday 6 May, Professor Steven Fielding explores the impact on New Labour's 'modernisation' efforts in the 1997 General Election campaign, before introducing Professor Tim Bale.
Topic:
Governance, Elections, Leadership, Domestic Policy, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
This year is the fortieth anniversary of the 1981 UK Budget Statement, one of the most controversial in British history.
Geoffrey Howe, the Conservative Chancellor in Margaret Thatcher's first government, deliberately increased taxes during a vicious world recession after two years of tight monetary policy and punishingly high-interest rates, to tame high inflation.
Inflation dropped, but the Budget also accelerated deindustrialization and spiralling unemployment, and turbocharged inequality. It has since indelibly shaped memories of ‘Thatcherism’.
Forty years on, the current Conservative government is at a new fork in the road in its economic policy, grappling with pandemic spending legacies, the fallout from Brexit, and post-2008 economics, and with electoral pledges both to fiscal probity and to 'level up' the UK.
Topic:
Economics, Labor Issues, Governance, Budget, Unemployment, and Deindustrialization
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
Hilary Cooper and Simon Szreter have published a powerful manifesto for change post-Covid-19. It argues that the world needs ‘a new morality’ to recover from the pandemic and to prepare for future crises - and that Britain’s own history points the way.
In 'After the Virus', they show how decades of neoliberalism and austerity left us vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19; they show how important history is for British and global public policy today, going back 400 years to look at Elizabeth I’s innovative Poor Laws, the world’s first universal welfare system; and they present practical proposals, inspired by our own history, that will promote a morality of nurturing, not exploiting, people and the planet.
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
n partnership with Progressive Britain, we were delighted to host this live webinar chaired by MEI Deputy Director, Dr Colm Murphy.
Combining the insights of a witness seminar with contemporary analysis, the panel aimed to highlight the similarities (and differences) between the 1981 schism and the contemporary moment, using this anniversary as an opportunity to gain insights into the politics of today.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Progressivism
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
This event launched the report, 'A New Settlement: Place and Wellbeing in Local Government', in partnership with LGiU with support from Research England.
The report outlines a new settlement for place in England built around the insights and the experiences of councils grappling with these challenges across the country.
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
This special event brought together an expert panel to discuss Keir Starmer’s first year as Leader of the Opposition in the aftermath of the major elections that took place in Scotland, Wales, and other parts of the UK.
The session commenced with a presentation by Anthony Wells, Director of Political and Social Research (YouGov), who gave an insight into what the polls say about Labour’s performance over the past year and the present and future challenges facing the Labour leadership.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
The past two decades have seen some of the most far-reaching changes to the UK constitution since universal suffrage. Many virtues have been ascribed to these reforms. To the extent that criticism exists, it has often been to argue that further reform is necessary.
This online conference adopts a different approach. It aims to provide a critical evaluation of recent constitutional reforms.
Bringing together leading constitutional experts and politicians from the United Kingdom and around the world, the conference will examine the following questions:
Did the reforms deliver what their proponents claimed they would?
Have the reforms generally improved governance, or added further complication?
Have the reforms helped to unite the kingdom or driven further division?
Have reforms enhanced or obscured accountability?
The programme consists of 8 panels spread over two half days, complemented by a keynote address from a senior figure in the UK government. See the outline below and containing more information about panels.
Topic:
Governance, Reform, Constitution, and Domestic Politics
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
Professor Sophie Harman discusses the five traps political leaders can fall into when it comes to a public health emergency as part of the 'Lessons on a crisis' series, presented by Evan Davis, for BBC Radio 4.
Topic:
Governance, Domestic Politics, Public Health, Pandemic, and COVID-19
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
Is the British state corrupt? The UK has traditionally scored well in global anti-corruption rankings, but concerns about corruption, cronyism, and the conduct of elections have become increasingly prominent in public debate.
Topic:
Corruption, Government, Governance, and Leadership
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In this video, Dr Daniel Gover (Lecturer in British Politics, Queen Mary University of London) discusses COVID-19 and the challenges that it has presented for the UK Parliament. He discusses how both the House of Commons and the House of Lords have adapted to the crisis and offers his thoughts on which reformed elements may continue to be used in the future.
Topic:
Governance, Legislation, Public Health, Pandemic, and COVID-19
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
n this video, Dr. Jonathan Kennedy (Queen Mary University of London) discusses the response of the UK Government to the Coronavirus pandemic and what lessons can be learned from other nations, such as China and Italy.
Topic:
Security, Health, Governance, Leadership, Pandemic, and COVID-19
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
Jeremy Corbyn was elected as leader of the Labour Party promising a break with a ‘neoliberal consensus’ that, his supporters argue, has dominated Britain for the past forty years.
Even though Labour’s Corbynite turn demonstrated an endurance and electoral potency unanticipated by many mainstream commentators before the 2017 General Election, the agenda of a prospective Labour government remains under explored. In contrast, within the Left itself there have been urgent debates on the ideal policies of a socialist government and the best strategies to replace ‘neoliberalism’. Left-wing writers and think-tankers now discuss proposals like the ‘Preston Model’ and a ‘Green New Deal’ with increasing confidence and excitement.
At this event, we will hear from some key figures in the development of the new economic thinking pursued by the Labour leadership. This panel will introduce the emerging political economic settlement, dubbed ‘Corbynomics’ by the Economist, and interrogate its ideas, strategies and prospects.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Labour Party
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
London's local government has served as a locus for ethnic minority political engagement for decades. The local arena was an important site for black and Asian political activity during the 1960s and 70s when much of the responsibility for tackling racism was passed to local government. When the first three black MPs entered the House of Commons in 1987, they had all served as local councillors beforehand. To this day, local office continues to be a gateway into national office for ethnic minorities. Despite this, very little is known about how representative local councillors are of London's population.
A new study by Queen Mary alumna Mercy Muroki and academic Prof. Philip Cowley reports local black and Asian representation across London for the first time in over 20 years. The study shows that, despite some advances, black and Asian Londoners continue to be underrepresented in most boroughs. Black men, in particular, see the poorest levels of representation whilst Asian men see the best levels. The study also found huge disparities between representation amongst Conservative and Labour councillors.
Topic:
Governance, Ethnicity, Urban, Local, Political Parties, and Gender
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
The Mile End Institute's ‘In Conversation’ series brings senior figures from across the political spectrum and UK media to Queen Mary University of London for in-depth discussions about British politics. The interviewer is Philip Cowley, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London and Director of the Mile End Institute.
Jo Swinson is the Liberal Democrat MP for East Dunbartonshire and the party's Deputy Leader and Shadow Foreign Secretary. She has written a book, Equal Power, which will be published by Atlantic Books in early 2018.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Opposition
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
The Mile End Institute's ‘In Conversation’ series brings senior figures from across the political spectrum and UK media to Queen Mary University of London for in-depth discussions about British politics. The interviewer is Philip Cowley, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London and Director of the Mile End Institute.
Jacob Rees-Mogg MP has been the Conservative MP for North East Somerset since the 2010 general election. One of the most high profile Brexiteer MPs, he is – according to the bookies – the favourite to be the next Conservative leader.
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
The Mile End Institute's ‘In Conversation’ series brings senior figures from across the political spectrum and UK media to Queen Mary University of London for in-depth discussions about British politics. The interviewer is Philip Cowley, Professor of Politics at QMUL and Director of the Mile End Institute.
Sam Gyimah is Conservative MP for Surrey East and the Minister for Prisons and Probation. He has wide government experience, having previously been the Minister for Childcare, the Minister for the Constitution, a Government Whip, and Parliamentary Private Secretary to former Prime Minister David Cameron.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Domestic Politics, and Conservatism
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
John Bercow talks to Professor Phil Cowley about why he didn't invite Donald Trump to the houses of parliament and other current issues facing British politics.
Topic:
Politics, Governance, Leadership, and Conservatism