29 October 2018

The rise of populism and identity politics will be talking points when Global Progress strategists meet in New Zealand next week.

Global Progress is a network of Centre-Left thinkers and strategists who meet to share progressive policy ideas.

Progress New Zealand founder Josie Pagani says it will be the first time Global Progress has met in New Zealand.

“We will analyse the rise of populist parties into government, the politics of identity and nationalism, social liberalism, and what redistribution means in the digital, globalised economy.”

President of Global Progress, Matt Browne, says the network has much to learn from the rise of Jacinda Ardern.

“We offer some insights from the trends that we see elsewhere, particularly the rise of a toxic politics of identity, and growing anxieties about the digital revolution and the future of work.”

A Global Progress panel discussion will be open to the public, with free entry, at the Backbencher in Wellington on Thursday, 1 November.

Date: Thursday 1 November 2018
Time: 6pm-8pm
Venue: The Backbencher Pub, 34 Molesworth St, Wellington

Please RSVP here to attend the event (free of charge).

About Global Progress

Global Progress is an international network of progressive leaders, thinkers and strategists who meet to share ideas, knowledge and best practices to advance progressive policy ideas.

About Progress New Zealand

Progress New Zealand is a network of people supporting modern progressive ideas relevant to working people.

Panelists at the Global Progress Backbencher event.

Matt Browne, Founder of Global Progress and Senior Fellow at Centre for American Progress (UK & US), and a board member of VoltaItalia and Canada 2020. Matt has worked closely with over 30 progressive leaders, prime ministers and presidents across four continents. Matt has co-authored recent research, Europe’s Populist Challenge.

John McTernan, Senior Vice-President of PSB Strategy, and a highly regarded strategist and political commentator, John was formerly Director of Political Operations for the former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair; Director of Communications for Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard; and Chief of Staff to Scottish Labour Party Leader Jim Murphy.

Mathew Laza, Director of the recently launched Progressive Center UK, Matthew was formerly the director of Policy Network, a current affairs journalist with the BBC, and served as senior communications advisor to the then leader of the UK Labour Party, Ed Miliband.

Marcus Roberts Marcus is Director of International Projects at the UK polling company, YouGov. He previously worked for the Labour Party in the UK and the Democratic Party in the US as well as for a number of think tanks and campaigning groups across Europe and America.

Tim Dixon, President and Co-Founder of More in Common, a progressive think tank, and former advisor to Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd. Tim’s recent research Hidden Tribes: A Study of American’s Polarised Landscape, has been well-well-received internationally.

New research available on request:

• Europe’s Populist Challenge

• YouGov – New data on voting patterns

• Hidden Tribes

ends

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The Government’s Smokefree Laws Debacle

The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable view is that the government was being deliberately misleading. Are we to think Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is a fool or a liar? It seems rather early on in his term of office to be facing that unpleasant choice... More