Fabian Society

History of the Fabian Society

The Fabian Society was founded in 1884 as a socialist society committed to gradual social reform. It is named after Quintus Fabius, a Roman General known for delaying battle until the right moment. Early members of the Fabian Society included George Bernard Shaw, Emmeline Pankhurst and H G Wells.

The Society is characterised by a passionate commitment to social justice and a belief in the progressive improvement of society. It aims to spark debate rather than promote a particular political stance and as a result holds a diversity of opinion. Its' publications represent the views of their authors rather than the views of the Fabian Society as a whole.

In 1909 the Fabian Society joined with the trade unions to create the Labour Party and has been linked to the party ever since. The Society has influenced the party since its creation and has been involved in the Party's 1918 Constitution; the creation of the modern welfare state; the proposed creation of the NHS in 1911. When Labour won its landslide victory in 1945 so many Fabians were elected (over 220) that the Parliamentary Labour Party was said to 'look just like an enormous Fabian school'.Since the 1997 general election there have been around 200 Fabian MPs in the Commons, amongst whom number nearly the entire Cabinet, including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Robin Cook, Jack Straw, David Blunkett and Clare Short.

Events

Fringe Events

Labour Party Conference 2014

• 21st September

Labour and the Liberal Democrats: possible partners? Speakers: Angela Eagle MP, Emily Thornberry MP, Cllr Kath Pinnock and [Katie Ghose]]. In association with Centre Forum.

Fair, green and built to last: rebalancing our economy. Speakers: Chuka Umuna MP, Sir George Cox, Maria McCaffery and [[Andrew Harrop. In association with TUC.

Can Labour deliver on universal childcare? Speakers: Lucy Powell MP, Dalia Ben-Galim, Neil Leitch, Abigail Wood and Reema Patel. Organised by Fabian Women’s Network.

Fabian Question Time. Speakers: Yvette Cooper MP, Lord Maurice Glasman, Andrew Harrop, Deborah Mattinson and Iain Dale.

Together: Health and care after 2015. Speakers: Andy Burnham MP, Jackie Ashley, Kate Barker, John Oldham and Jeremy Hughes. In association with Alzheimer’s Society.

Fighting inequality: poverty, the middle and ‘the one per cent’. Speakers: Kate Green MP, Rachael Orr, Howard Reed, Polly Toynbee and Rob Tinker. In association with Oxfam.

• 22nd September

Data, democracy and power. Speakers: Chi Onwurah MP, Dominic Campbell, Karin Christiansen and Stephen King. In partnership with Omidyar Network.

The chemistry of community: Labour’s agenda for contribution, cohesion and pride of place. Speakers: Lisa Nandy MP, Tracey Paul, Jim McMahon and Ed Wallis. In partnership with NCS Trust

Can One Nation Labour do One Planet Living? Speakers: Maria Eagle, Trevor Hutchings, Richard Wilkinson and Baroness Bryony Worthington. In partnership with WWF

In crisis? Calculating the cost of living. Speakers: Lisa Nandy MP, Jennette Arnold, Beth Knowles, Angela Rayner and Abena Oppong-Asare. Organised by Fabian Women’s Network

One Nationisms: Young Fabians pamphlet launch. Organised by Young Fabians.

Long-term prosperity: the economic choices for Labour. Speakers: Rachel Reeves MP, Will Hutton and Rebecca McNeill.

Mental health from day one: can early intervention change lives and society? Speakers: Luciana Berger MP and Lorainne Khan. Organised by Fabian Women’s Network.

• 23rd September

Supporting Britain’s global economic recovery: what role do legal and professional services have to play? Speakers: Ian Murray MP, Seema Malhotra MP and [Andrew Caplen]]. In association with The Law Society.

Asda Mumdex and the 2015 general election: what will win the women’s vote? Speakers: Yvette Cooper MP, Ivana Bartoletti, Paul Kelly and Kevin Maguire. Organised by Asda and Fabian Women’s Network.

Spin Alley: debating the leader’s speech. Speakers: Sadiq Khan MP, Jessica Asato, Matthew Elliott. Marcus Roberts and Jenni Russell.

Shaping 21st century public services: consensus, conflict or confusion? Speakers: Chris Leslie MP, Jim Bligh, Richard Harries, Sonia Sodha and Andrew Harrop. In partnership with Reform and CBI.

Defeating dementia: what will it take to treat dementia and can Britain lead the world? Speakers: Debbie Abrahams MP, Eric Karran and Martin Knapp. In partnership with Alzheimer’s Research UK.