John McDonnell and the Labour’s Shadow Treasury Team are holding economic conferences around Britain over the next year, hoping to broaden access and raise the level of debate around economic issues. The conference will take place from 11am until 4pm at Bishop Grosseteste University.
New Putney Debates and the Charter of the Forest organising group are assisting with the this event, which will be celebrating the Charter of the Forest.
Tickets are being sold on the Labour events website at a cost of £10.
The Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell MP, will lay out his party’s plans to bring back key industries into public ownership.
Opening Plenary (11–12.15)
Karen Lee MP– Welcome
John McDonnell MP (Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer)
Guy Standing
Peter Linebaugh
Claire McCarthy (General Secretary of Co-op Party)
Lunch 12.15-1.15
Breakout 1: Public Ownership: Ending the era of privatisation (1.15-2.45)
The Labour Party is committed to more democratic ownership structures that would help our economy deliver for the many not the few. This workshop It will focus on Water, Rail and Royal mail and discuss how public ownership could deliver lower prices, more accountability, greater investment and a more sustainable economy.
• Kate Bayliss – Water
• Rachel Maskell MP – Rail
• Andrew Towers – Post CWU
Chair: TBC
Breakout 2: A social commons: the role of co-operatives, social enterprises and self organised groups and platforms in moving towards a new economy fit for the 21st Century. (1.15 – 2.45)
The early Labour movement gave rise to new forms association based on cooperatives principles. Many of these organisations are still with us and flourishing. More recently Europe has seen the emergence of a ‘commons movement’: with local people coming together to run social centres, town energy networks, and develop social platforms that mutually support workers, rather than exploit them. How can Labour enable this sector to flourish?
• Claire McCarthy (General Secretary Co-operative Party)
• Tim Flitcroft / Commons Rising & Jonny Gordeon-Farleigh / Stir to Action
• Rossana , Commons speaker ( details to follow)
Chair: TBC
Breakout 3: Land: new concepts of land ownership and government. (1.15 -2.45)
UK has some of the most concentrated land ownership in the western world, much of it shrouded in secrecy. We will explore how this concentration of ownership and rights is both a key driver of inequality and a cause of degradation of natural resources. Most importantly this workshop will explore solutions: the call for New Domesday book; moving to a better distribution of land rights and responsibilities; and whether a Land Value Tax could improve both equality and promote more sustainable land use.
• Julie Timbrell, New Putney Debates
• Christian Eriksson , Towards a News Domesday Books – Private Eye
• Either Heather Wetzel or Carol Wilcox, Labour Land Campaign (on LVT) – we will sort this out.
Chair: Dave Dewhurst
Final Plenary 3.00 – 4.00 General Discussion