Future Britain Group | |
|---|---|
| Founder | Tom Watson |
| Convener | Darren Jones |
| Founded | 8 March 2019; 6 years ago (2019-03-08)[1] |
| Dissolved | September 2021 |
| Ideology | Third Way Social democracy Pro-Europeanism |
| Political position | Centre tocentre-left |
| National affiliation | Labour Party |
| Colours | Red |
TheFuture Britain Group was a group of over 150 Labour parliamentarians (around 70peers and 80MPs) set up in March 2019 by then-Deputy Leader of the Labour Party,Tom Watson, comprising those on thecentre,centre-left andsoft left of the party.[2][3][4][5] The first meeting of the grouping is believed to have been attended by almost a third of Labour MPs.[4] Its convener was MPDarren Jones.[5]
The group was set up following defections from the Labour andConservative parties to form thecentrist,pro-European parliamentary groupingthe Independent Group (TIG).[5] Watson set up Future Britain to prevent further defections from the party.[4]
Notable individuals in the group included former Labour leaderLord Neil Kinnock andJohn Prescott as well as leading Blairites and Brownites, includingLord Peter Mandelson,Lord Andrew Adonis, MPYvette Cooper,[5]Lord David Blunkett, MPPat McFadden,Lord Stewart Wood,[2]Hilary Benn andLord Peter Hain.[3]
Since the resignation of a few Labour MPs to form TIG, and 18 February 2019 registration, Future Britain's parked-website (www.futurebritaingroup.co.uk/) just said 'Coming Soon'. It was registered 19 days before Watson publicly named the group.[6] Additionally, in what was seen as an attack onJeremy Corbyn and theleft wing of the party, Watson argued that Labour's front bench should be reshuffled to accommodate "social democratic and democratic socialist traditions" of the Labour Party.[6]
The group sought abroad church/big tent approach to the party. Mandelson described the group as a "coming together of the TB-GBs", a reference to the long standing divisions between those loyal to former Labour leadersTony Blair andGordon Brown in theNew Labour era.[5] Kinnock said the group was set up to promote "democratic socialist values" and "achievable, possible and affordable policies".[5] Over 150 Labour MPs and Lords attended the group's launch, including 14 members of the Shadow Cabinet and 13 former cabinet members.[2]
Although Jones as convener denied allegations offactionalism, or that it was "a Labour equivalent of the ToryEuropean Research Group",[2] the group had been called a "new faction" of deputy leader Tom Watson.[6]The Times noted that there were "fears in the Labour high command that Mr Watson is in effect establishing a party within a party".[4] However, Jones denied these claims.[2]
The group was short-lived and had been dissolved by September 2021.[7]