Tom Griffin (London, OK): Does Barack Obama's presidential campaign have lessons for the left in Britain? That's the question that the Fabian Society will be considering in an OurKingdom-supported debate at the Labour Party conference on Sunday.
Among the speakers will be Skills Minister David Lammy, who argued earlier this year (in a speech that is available as a podcast) that the US experience provides a model for involving a generation of young people who are socially aware but disengaged from party politics.
When I was in the States I was able to witness some of the results of this participation.
It was the girl serving coffee in a Starbucks in Chicago, who had never been remotely interested in politics until she looked at Obama’s website, found others in her neighbourhood talking and getting excited about different issues. She came into the team’s headquarters and met the Mayor for the first time – and by the time we were there, was a ‘Precinct Captain’, raising money for the campaign and involving other young people in the debate.
Lesson from America: Can Hope Win? takes place in Manchester Town Hall at 6pm on Sunday 21 September. Speakers include David Lammy MP, Minister for Skills; Bill Barnard, Democrats Abroad UK; Stryker McGuire, Contributing Editor, Newsweek; Peter Kellner, YouGov President; Rushanara Ali, The Young Foundation; Jemima Olchawski, Fabian Society (Chair).
