National Policy Forum [antikvár]

Foreword Last year's Conférence agreed to update Partnership in Power, our process for developing policy, to ensure policy making remains a dynamic part of the party's policy and campaigning work and that the party in govemment is able to stay in touch with the party in the country. The review set out a number of recommendations: more engagement on topical issues; fewer documents and a 'big conversation' style first year document which encourages local parties to reach out and engage their local communities; and fewer commissions considering cross cutting issues. This year we have set about delivering these changes, and the results are evident in the work of the NPF and the policy commissions. In January the National Policy Forum considered work programmes for each of the six new commissions. This was the first time the commissions had set out in advance the areas they planned to cover over the year and in line with the desire for more dynamic and relevant policy commissions. NPF représentatives were given the opportunity to shape the work programmes to ensure the commissions were focused on areas of importance to members. The commissions play a key rôle in ensuring that govemment ministers stay in touch with the views of party members and are the public face of the party in policy discussions with external organisations. These commission reports détail the work of the commissions over the past 12 months. The commissions have been active over the year, inviting comment from external stakeholders and hosting interesting discussions around topical issues while making good use of new technology to engage more members. For example, the Britain in the world commission, ahead of the publication of the International development White Paper, took evidence from eight organisations with an invited audience from across the party. And the Education commission played a key rôle around the Schools White Paper, speaking with members and ministers ahead of the publication of the Education and Inspections Bill. With two election-winning manifestos drafted under Partnership in Power, clearly we have a lot to be proud of. The National Policy Forum has now embarked on the third cycle of Partnership in Power, building towards our fourth term manifesto. In terms of reaching out to the wider community, this document is accompanied by the first year National Policy Forum consultation document, 'Securing Britain's