Progress (organisation)
| Formation | October 2, 1995 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Paul Richards, Liam Byrne and Derek Draper |
| Legal status | Company limited by guarantee |
| Purpose | Political |
| Headquarters | London |
|
Director
|
Richard Angell |
|
Chair
|
Alison McGovern MP |
|
Honorary president
|
Stephen Twigg MP |
| Website | Official website |
Progress is a ginger group political organisation within the Labour Party in the United Kingdom, founded in 1996. It is broadly viewed as supportive of the New Labour leadership of Tony Blair, a former leader of the party and former prime minister.
Progress publishes a monthly magazine of the same name and occasional pamphlets, and organises conferences and other events.
Until 2014 Progress stated it was "the New Labour pressure group which aims to promote a radical and progressive politics for the 21st century." From late 2014 Progress stopped using the "New Labour" label and rebranded itself as "Labour’s new mainstream, aim[ing] to promote a radical and progressive politics".
Its aims are:
Progress is an organisation of Labour party members which aims to promote a radical and progressive politics for the 21st century.
We seek to discuss, develop and advance the means to create a more free, equal and democratic Britain, which plays an active role in Europe and the wider world.
Diverse and inclusive, we work to improve the level and quality of debate both within the Labour party, and between the party and the wider progressive community.
Progress was founded in 1995 by Paul Richards, Liam Byrne and Derek Draper, the former aide to Peter Mandelson, as an organisation to maintain a dialogue with Labour's new leadership under Tony Blair. It has organised many events and conferences, and hosted several important speeches by senior party figures. Its annual conference has become a staple of the political calendar with many cabinet ministers and other leading politicians attending.
Lord Sainsbury of Turville has provided substantial funding for Progress, contributing £2 million of the £3 million of donations and sponsorship to Progress from 2001 to 2011. In 2014 Progress was fined £6,000 by the Electoral Commission for accepting donations of £390,000 from Lord Sainsbury while he was not on a UK electoral register, between December 2011 and April 2013.
In May 2014 Progress dropped using the "New Labour" label, introduced by Tony Blair, for the Labour party.
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