Power & People:
Can power be brought closer to the people and become more inclusive?

Scottish Fabians, Labour Women’s Network and the Scottish Co-operative Party present a one day event that focuses on participation, power and how we can renew our democracy.

The event comprises two parts: in the morning LWN will host a programme for women to promote greater participation of women in public and political life; in the afternoon Scottish Fabians will host a policy conference looking at political power and how decision making can be brought closer to people and democracy can be renewed to place people at its heart.

Join us for discussion, debate, training and a keynote speech from Johann Lamont MSP, Scotish Labour Party Leader.

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Morning session: Women in Politics

If Labour is to regain power in Scotland then the Party must look more like those we seek to represent. A crucial part of being inclusive is having more women winning elected office, and more women in key roles across the Labour movement in Scotland.

Labour Women’s Network’s Women in Politics session offers a morning of training, skills-sharing and discussion for women on how to make the most of being in the Labour Party. Following a welcome from Kez Dugdale MSP, choose one of our training workshops which deal with some of the practical barriers that women sometimes face:

• Practical Campaigning: starting a women’s forum
• Improve your public speaking
• Raising your profile using campaigning and the media

After the training workshops the women-only morning session will close with a panel debate between women who hold/ have held powerful positions in the Labour movement to share their experiences and give tips for how to get ahead in politics. Chaired by Jackie Baillie MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health, speakers include Margaret Curran MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland; Cllr Rhondda Geekie, Leader, East Dunbartonshire Council; Rachel McEwen, Former Special Adviser to First Minister Jack McConnell; and Catherine Stihler MEP.

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Afternoon session: Power & People

After lunch the event will open into a joint Scottish Fabians/ LWN/ Scottish Co-operative Party afternoon to consider the crisis in democracy and how to tackle it. Scottish Labour must grapple with the challenges of decreasing turn out at elections and increasing popular detachment from politicians and the process of government if it is to win again.

We ask 3 questions:

1. Can decisions be made closer to the people that are affected by them?
2. Can the state be reformed to include people in decisions and services it delivers?
3. How do we engage and bring people with us as we seek a return to power?

Beginning with a keynote speech from Johann Lamont MSP, we will then move into a mixture of panel debates and workshops with speakers including: Margaret Curran MP; Sarah Boyack MSP; Helen Eadie MSP; Cllr Stephen Curran; Cllr Monica Lennon and others to look at the structure of government and the balances of power between central and local government. We'll consider how legislative and governmental process could be more inclusive, and the practical ways in which we can regain power for people by people.