This is a critical political moment. We have weathered the most serious financial crash of the post-war era and emerged from the recession, but at immense cost to our public finances and economic wellbeing. Our political system has been deeply wounded by the recent expenses scandal and we have less confidence in our politicians than ever before. This is the backdrop to a general election in which, for perhaps the first time in British politics, all three main parties are real contenders, and which represents an unprecedented opportunity to revolutionise British politics.
We asked speakers from each of the Progressive Policy Forum discussions to contribute to this volume. Their challenge was to transcend the cut and thrust of a gripping electoral campaign and to frame deeper, wider questions for policymakers over the next decade. The authors differ in many respects — not least in their political allegiances — but all agree on the urgent need for radical reform and for a longer view in policy setting.
Kitty Ussher is the former Economic Secretary to the Treasury and MP for Burnley from 2005 to 2010
Stephen Brien is a partner at Oliver Wyman and chair of the Economic Dependency group at the Centre for Social Justice.
Mike Brewer is Programme Director of the Direct Tax and Welfare team at the Institute for Fiscal Studies
Jules Peck is a founding partner of Abundancy Partners and Chairman of Edelman’s Citizenship Group
Tim Smit is CEO of the Eden Project
David Halpern is director of Research at the Institute for Government
Anthony Seldon is Master of Wellington College
Max Wind-Cowie is a researcher on The Progressive Conservatism Project at Demos
William Heath is founder of Mydex CIC and of Ctrl-Shift Ltd
Jonty Olliff-Cooper is head of the Progressive Conservatism Project at Demos