Party Conferences 2011
After a year of economic turbulence, social unrest and political upheaval the 2012 conference season is an opportunity to consider the big questions about Britain’s future. Demos is once again hosting a wide-ranging programme of events across all three party conferences. We'll be joined by MPs, commentators, experts and leading thinkers for a range of public debates and policy-focussed roundtables.
Under David Goodhart Demos is exploring questions about Britain’s social fabric, asking which laws, habits and institutions help us live together in a more fragmented and individualistic society. Here are just some of the issues we'll be debating:
Family and society
How best can families, businesses and governments learn to live with an ageing population?
Can you teach good parenting – and whose job is it?
How do we provide more whole-family support for children on the edge of care?
Public services and welfare
Is support for the welfare state on the wane and why?
How do we measure and what do we mean by poverty?
How do we redefine the relationship between health, care and housing in the face of local budgetary cuts and structural reform?
Why do so many people struggle to enter the labour market - is this a supply or demand problem?
Citizenship
How and why should we protect privacy in the information age?
How do we tackle entrenched social problems, from binge drinking to homelessness? Is social finance the answer?
In an age of austerity, what is the future of the NGO?
Identity and extremism
What is the right response to the rise of political extremism on the Left and Right?
Do people feel British and why does it matter?
How integrated is British society and how can we do better?
Good growth
After the crash, how will Britain earn a living?
What does the ‘good business’ look like to its staff, shareholders and customers?
How can companies measure their social as well as economic impact?
What is the future for Britain’s tax system – taxing land or labour, wealth or work?
What makes entrepreneurship in the UK today and how can we create the right environment to encourage entrepreneurs from all sectors of the community?
Education and skills
How can we ensure our workforce will have the right skills for the future?
What are the most effective and realistic options for boosting the employability of students?
How we support head teachers to deliver improvement and innovation?
How can we support all 14-19 year-olds to make informed choices about their futures?
International development
How can we preserve the planet whilst allowing basic human dignity for all, and what kind of economic development will enable us to achieve this?
What can the Prime Minister to achieve as a co-chair of the UN Secretary General’s panel on development post 2015?