Only an active welfare state can tackle the scourge of youth unemployment, argues James Purnell Let’s go back to Tuesday 11 May 2010. Labour people were just coming to terms with having lost power for the first time in a generation. The feeling of relief at not having come third was giving way to that …

A generation of twentysomethings are joining the ‘squeezed middle’. But many are unaware how precarious their situation is, argue Richard Darlington and Laura Bradley The current generation of twentysomethings are feeling a squeeze the like of which their parents have never known. They think they have enough set aside for a rainy day and they …

Governments don’t like risk but growth economies need risk takers.  So why is the default setting for debate on the needs of business stuck on red tape?     Small medium enterprises (SMEs) are not just the engine rooms of any new economy or one needing to grow.  They are the nimble footed, responsive and …

Tom Bage looks at the prime minister speech yesterday in his latest sketch: David Cameron went to Manchester, to talk to the people. He went there to speak about the spirit of Britain. To discuss his leadership. And your credit card. And his leadership of your credit card. But most of all, he went there …

When a new group of Conservative eurosceptic MPs was launched last month amid much fanfare and media coverage, it was clear that the Tory high command were trying to manage the visceral, eurosceptic instincts of their party. But as Conservatives gather for their annual conference in Manchester, the divisive and toxic issue of Europe is …

Berlin, in the days before the state elections this coming Sunday, is not a happy city. Alexanderplatz is still thronged with tourists, and clubs east and west are still living up to their well-deserved reputation; but this is a city which is showing all the signs of having had enough of being ‘poor but sexy.’ …

Ensuring councillors remain focused on the doorstep through a councillor contract has led to a stronger relationship between the Party, it’s councillors and the public we serve in Lambeth, and the results speak for themselves. As a councillor I know that post election your mind turns squarely to improving the lives of residents, ensuring that …

On the island of Utoeya, the Arbeidernes Ungdomsfylking (AUF), or youth league of the Norwegian Labour Party, held its annual summer camp. For decades, young minds have gathered to share intellectual dialogue and camaraderie, learning how they might better themselves and our planet. Amongst the alumni of the AUF camp are the Norweigan prime minister …

While attention was last week focused on the crisis surrounding News Corp, another crisis was slowly burning away elsewhere in Europe. Italy was facing a sovereign debt crisis. The shockwaves of the financial crisis continue to reverberate. There are lessons here for the UK and for Labour. The catalyst was Silvio Berlusconi. The Italian premier …

The Arab Spring has overshadowed Kurdistan, which is the safest, most pluralistic and dynamic part of Iraq although persistent social, economic and political problems make it necessary to accelerate reform, deepen democracy and renew its economy. This is the core message from the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kurdistan which met many government and opposition …