For many of us, being a Labour party member is synonymous with knocking on doors. Typical issues raised include antisocial behaviour, the state of the roads, maybe something to do with their doctor's surgery or local hospital, for a while Iraq/Tony Blair. For a decade the economy has not been an issue on the doorstep. That is changing. more »

Jobs taken by school leavers and graduates today are worlds away from those available to our parents and grandparents. Most of us will spend 20 per cent of our lives in work. What happens in the workplace has a notable effect on our health and well being - as Alan Johnson emphasised in a recent speech launching the `well at work' pilots. more »

Whether Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama is the Democrat candidate in November, one thing is for sure: the stakes are high. The turnout at Democratic primaries is unprecedented, all over the world we are watching, mesmerised, as the results come in. The sense of hope, the sense that we are on the cusp of change is palpable. Politics, ideas and values matter. more »

The government needs to articulate a positive case for immigration, recognising the benefits of immigration to public services and our culture. At the same time, we need to ensure that we have decent statistics to ensure that public services can cope and we must ensure that British citizens, especially those with low skills get access to education and training so that they have good job prospects and do not feel excluded from local labour markets. more »