There is a growing sense of anger and disillusionment with politics among the public. This is perhaps unsurprising. People increasingly feel that democracy is no longer delivering the outcomes they care about such as high living standards, good jobs and safe communities. And, they feel that the process of democracy overlooks them, failing to give them voice and agency.

Some people are responding to this by disengaging: only half of the adult population voted in the recent general election – the lowest share of the population to vote since universal suffrage. Some are getting angry by either voting for populist causes or parties.

To break free from this cycle of instability, we need government to deliver real change for people up and down the country.

This event will explore what a comprehensive program for national renewal should look like in this parliament and how an ‘insurgent’ government can truly transform people’s lives to restore trust.  Our panelists will discuss the actions the new Labour government must take to rebuild our public sphere, improve living standards for all and combat the rise of populism.

This event is part of our ‘Manifest’ series hosted by IPPR and The Conduit on understanding the big policy debates shaping the country. We’re exploring what promises the new government will make and whether they will be bold enough to manifest the change the country needs.

Speakers:

Josh Simons MP was elected as the Member of Parliament for Makerfield in the 2024 general election. Prior to entering parliament, he was the director of Labour Together; an influential think tank which has focussed on making Labour electable since it was created in 2015. He has also previously worked as a policy adviser for The Labour Party, including working in the Leader of the Opposition’s Office, and has a PhD from Harvard University in Government, Political Theory and Political Science.

Professor Jane Gingrich is a Professor of Social Policy at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI), University of Oxford and a Senior Research Fellow at Green Templeton College. She was previously Professor of Comparative Political Economy at the Department of Politics and International Relations and Tutorial Fellow at Magdalen College, University of Oxford. Jane’s areas of expertise are Comparative Political Economy.

Rt Hon Michael Gove was the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Surrey Heath from 2005 to 2024. He served in several cabinet positions including Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and as Secretary of State for Education; Justice; Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and most recently was the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities up until the 2024 general election.

Sunder Katwala is the director of British Future. He has previously worked as a journalist. He was general secretary of the Fabian Society thinktank from 2003 to 2011, and was previously a leader writer and internet editor at the Observer, a research director of the Foreign Policy Centre and commissioning editor for politics and economics at the publisher Macmillan. He celebrated his 10th wedding anniversary with his wife, Stacy, in 2011, and is the proud father of four children, Zarina, Jay, Sonny and Indira. His support for Everton and Southend United football clubs reflects an upbringing in Cheshire and Essex, though he was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire, to parents who came to Britain from India and Ireland, to work for the NHS.

Harry Quilter-Pinner has worked at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) since 2015 and is currently the interim executive director. Prior to this Harry was director of policy and politics, heading up the organisation’s research, policy and influencing work in Westminster, and associate director for work and the welfare state before that. He co-founded and headed up the flagship Better Health and Care programme and was lead author on the independent cross-party Lord Darzi review which shaped the NHS Long-Term Plan and recent NHS funding settlement. He has also led the organisations work on austerity and public spending, and contributed to research on education, welfare and environmental policy.

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