Go Big - Ed's Ideas

There’s a growing perception that, if elected at the next general election any new Labour administration would be looking to keep things safe and steady. And I think actually most of the population would be fine with just that, after the growing chaos of this Conservative government.?

But scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find plenty of clues that a new Labour government could actually deliver a truly transformational agenda.

And for those of us that yearn for progressive policies and a change from decades of poor decisions, especially around the environment and social justice, Ed Miliband’s book: ‘Go Big’ offers great hope.?

Miliband is at the heart of Labour policy formation, and is said to have impressed Keir Starmer and other senior figures with the strength of his ideas. And in his words: “This book sketches out what a new order of things could look like.”

The book claims to contain ’20 bold solutions to fix our world’. None of these ideas are new, and for fans of his excellent podcast Reasons to be Cheerful , you will recognise the ideas and passions that have filtered through into the book, and now potentially to form government policy.?Many of the ideas have also been tried and tested, especially it has to be said, by Labour-led Local Authorities - or by nations with Labour governments, such as Wales and New Zealand.?

I’d suggest reading the book for an insight into what a new UK Labour Government may just be up for.?

And here’s a flavour (from my notes) of what the Big 20 solutions are:

Solution 1: A Green New Deal

The basis for growth, large-scale government investment that both tackles the climate emergency and grows jobs.?

Solution 2: Build Social Housing

The number of council-owned houses has dropped dramatically since ‘Right to Buy’, with a lack of impetus to build at the pace we need (Cardiff bucks the trend, with nearly a thousand low-carbon council homes being built in the last few years).

Not only has this led to property prices out of the reach of most young people, but the bizarre situation where huge amounts of housing benefit is now paid directly to private landlords.?

Solution 3: Universal Basic Income

In its purist form, this is regular income paid to everyone to do what they want with. The idea being that not only does this stimulate the economy and most positively impact the poorest, but it encourages things like more volunteering and caring.?

There are big questions about how its paid for, and whether it is better being means tested. But it is being tested and piloted in different forms and settings (including in Wales, for Care Leavers).?

Solution 4: Gender Pay Gap & Parental Leave

Women are paid less than men, both for doing the same jobs, but also by the fact that the traditional gender-orientated roles have large pay disparity.?

This solution talks about how you’d have a much fairer and more productive economy if the gender pay gap was closed, with a particular focus on the benefits of shared parental leave.?

Solution 5: Socially Responsible Business

Promotion of the B Corp movement (companies that formally sign up to being socially responsible).?

Getting more companies to work towards outcomes for people and planet, as well as shareholders. Including looking at how some of the legislative basis that companies are based around could be altered.?

Solution 6: Move Away from GDP

GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is historically used as the main metric for economies, and has been used to emphasise success. The problem being, the measurement’s focus is on economic growth rather than wellbeing. We should change what we judge our governments on, to include measurements such as wellbeing, child development, or even happiness, and judge our governments on this. ??

Wales gets a mention here, as the first country to bring a law saying that the future wellbeing of children (and future children) must be considered in decision making. The Wellbeing of Future Generations Act .?Led by the brilliant Sophie Howe

Solution 7: Focus Growth on Care Jobs

Instead of always thinking about growth in terms of construction, or science jobs or retail - we should be focusing our growth strategies on care jobs. Carers keep populations well and healthy.

This is especially important when we consider that the UK will need 500,000 more care workers over the coming decade to look after the growing population. ?

Solution 8: Reducing Working Hours - Increasing Productivity?

The UK has some of the longest working hours in the world, yet has low productivity levels. There is growing evidence that reducing working hours, or even moving to a 4 day working week could not only be better for the individual, but also boost productivity.?

There is also evidence showing that the extra time an individual gains back is used on pursuits that help society such as volunteering or caring for family members. ?

Solution 9: Regulating Big Tech

How can we find ways to better regulate what are now some of the most powerful and influential companies in the world. Solutions include regulating to break up monopolies and block takeovers, as well as ideas around allowing people to own and move their personal data.?

Solution 10: Active Travel

I think people have already heard quite enough from me on the life and society-changing benefits of Active Travel.

When you consider the costs of transport to our pocket and the planet - the bike really is a silver bullet. ?

Solution 11: Citizen’s Assemblies

See also other forms of deliberative democracy. The idea being that vitally important decisions cannot safely be left to a politician observing the whip or trying to get elected again, nor by forms of public referenda, which is so open to slick messaging and vested interests. Instead how about get a random, but representative group of people together, give them access to facts and information, and allow them to take or advise on decisions.?

This form of decision making was used in Ireland to change the law to allow same-sex marriage. They are now looking at proposing using Citizen's Assemblies to change drug laws.

Solution 12: Votes at 16

Not so much an idea to save the planet, as an ethical one. 16 and 17 years olds are subject to most of the same laws and policies as adults, yet have no vote on who gets to make them. They could also be sent to war, but not be able to vote for the politicians that are deciding to put them there.?

Young people are often an afterthought when it comes to policymaking, perhaps that would change if politicians had to try and win their vote. ?

Solution 13: More Regional Devolution

We already have some devolution of decision making and funding distribution with the devolved nations and more recently elected mayors and city deals. But the UK still has one of the least devolved nations in the democratic world, with most the power and wealth based in London. Open this up and you’re likely to get more people feeling engaged, rather than left out, along with more plurality and diversity of ideas.

Solution 14: Improving Public Services

These ideas are around adding more creativity and constant improvement to the public sector. Creating closer working relationships between the public and public sector workers to problem solve.?

Solution 15: Employee Ownership & Co-operatives?

Looking at two big things here. How you could get more employee ownership, which leads to a fairer spread of wealth as well as improved economic performance. And how do we encourage more co-operatives, which almost invariably have social conscience at their heart.

Solution 16: Community Organising?

Any chapter that includes my friend Ali Abdi has to be my favourite. The ideas are around how you engage local people to create meaningful change, and how that in turn empowers individuals and community. (We know that having agency in decision making is a health determinant in itself). ?

Solution 17: Modern Trade Unions

Since 1980, the top 1% of earners have seen their share of the profits raise from around 8% to 13%. In this time union membership has contained to decline. Unionisation supports productivity as well as wellbeing. Even the OECD are on board: “Collective bargaining fosters good labour market performance”

Ideas in the chapter include how unions can modernise around technology to organise and quickly sample for example.?

Solution 18: Fossil Fuel Divestment

Let’s make our money work for us. There are trillions of pounds of the public’s money being used every day to invest in fossil fuels. If we move this money to more sustainable businesses, it could very quickly force economies and businesses to shift their operations.?

This is beginning to happen, for example public sector pension pots (including Cardiff Council’s) are beginning to move investments, also institutions such as the Church of England have come together under the banner of Climate Action 100+ to work together do just this. ??

Solution 19: Community Wealth Building (Preston)

Inward investment is often companies from outside the area or country investing capital, with an expectation to make profit. The ideas in the book on Community wealth building around using the significant power of public spending and ‘anchor institutions’ to invest locally and keep money spent locally. ??

Solution 20: Social Movements??

This is about positive social change, how it can be achieved, and what a massive impact it can have - just look at the difference movements such as Black Lives Matter and #MeToo have had on society.?

I hope you agree this is exciting stuff, radical even.?For me, working on climate change solutions in Wales, it's inspiring.

I’d hazard a guess every single person I know on this site has an interest and passion in seeing at least one of these ideas be realised. Some words of encouragement from the author “if we join together, we will succeed”

(Oh… and don’t forget to vote Labour!)?

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