 Can we bring political parties back to life?
How to restore trust in democratic politics is a central issue in Britain and across the advanced industrial democracies. As the only UK think-tank which is itself a democratically-run membership society, democracy has been a consistent theme for the Fabian Society.
The focus of our research in this area is on the future of political parties, and how parties must change if they are to remain relevant and to contribute to democratic engagement. (However, Fabian publications and events also address broader questions of democratic renewal, including the role of the media, constitutional change). In an anti-political age, the case against political parties is often prominent in public debate. Some advocate a shift to an age of 'post-party politics'. While there are good grounds for scepticism that this would make democracy more effective, parties must change if representative democracy is to reconnect.
The Fabian Society will make particular recommendations for reform of the Labour Party. The Fabian Society's is uniquely placed to provide an influential and independent forum for debate about how the party should reform – because we are affiliated to the Labour Party but we guard our organisational, editorial and financial independence fiercely.
Fabians have played a significant role historically, from the Society's role in founding the Labour Party with the trade unions; Sidney Webb's drafting of the 1918 Constitution and Fabian work calling for the rewriting of Clause IV, from Tony Crosland in the 1950s to Giles Radice in the early 1990s. Our work seeks to continue this tradition with challenging contributions to the debate about Labour's future.
To discuss working with the Fabian Society in this area, please contact Tim Horton, Research Director.
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