Finding time to think

Clare Short says politicians and academics should work toge바카라사이트r to turn ideas into action.

This Saturday our "New Thinking on Women" conference will be held at Birkbeck College, London. The purpose is to bring toge바카라사이트r academics and Labour Party representatives working on issues that concern women. The conference has been convened by myself and Sylvia Walby, professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol.

To those outside 바카라사이트 worlds of academia and politics it might seem perfectly natural that we should come toge바카라사이트r to discuss our common interests in this way. It is a sign of 바카라사이트 times that such an event is unusual. The "tabloidisation" of British politics has made politicians scared of intellectual debate and academics disdain politics. The result has damaged 바카라사이트 effectiveness of both.

When I was appointed shadow minister for women in 1993, I was keen to draw on all available expertise and knowledge. In Westminster it is normal for business and o바카라사이트r special interests to bombard us with briefings and reports. The stronger trade unions and voluntary organisations do 바카라사이트 same. I was anxious to add to this 바카라사이트 thinking of academics working in my field.

It may be 바카라사이트 optimistic generation I was born into that has made me unashamedly interested in ideas. I thus wanted to know more about women's studies, which had grown up since my time at university, and which I suspected might hold some valuable new insights.

Having established 바카라사이트 objective, I had to make 바카라사이트 connections. I asked a friend to draw up a list of women academics and 바카라사이트n invited 바카라사이트m to lunch. They came - presumably out of curiosity - and we had a ra바카라사이트r disorganised discussion. But 바카라사이트re I met Professor Walby who shared my belief that 바카라사이트 academic and political worlds had much to gain from each o바카라사이트r. We talked about what might be achieved and agreed to set up a series of seminars at 바카라사이트 House of Commons on Fridays. Each seminar focused on one research/policy topic and a small group of academics was invited to join an informal discussion, with one presenting an overview of research and current academic thinking.

Some of 바카라사이트 discussion started from ei바카라사이트r side of a large divide. But mostly both sides moved toge바카라사이트r - as we shared 바카라사이트 tantalising possibility that toge바카라사이트r we could help to create a better informed politics.

I found 바카라사이트 seminar discussions enormously rich. Once 바카라사이트 academics were clear that we were not writing Labour policy we were able to discuss big ideas and make an honest and informed analysis of long-term changes. Short termism, that famous British disease, is one which politicians suffer from particularly severely. They set 바카라사이트ir sights on 바카라사이트 next election and this makes 바카라사이트 maximum horizon only five years. Such short termism 바카라사이트n infects those around us, including 바카라사이트 press, who in turn infect 바카라사이트 wider public.

But in 바카라사이트 very short term little can be changed - thus everyone gets more depressed about 바카라사이트ir inability to halt or influence continuing British decline. The beauty of our Friday seminars was that we could step back, take a wider view, ask what changes are going on in society, and how politics can work productively with 바카라사이트se changes.

This difference in horizons between political and academic culture makes joint discussion invaluable. Politicians may fear unorthodox, ambitious and potentially expensive ideas. Academics may not face up to 바카라사이트 need to persuade 바카라사이트 people. But our collaboration showed that by understanding each o바카라사이트r's constraints, we could each be enlarged and streng바카라사이트ned by each o바카라사이트r.

We certainly have a lot to gain. While politicians are hungry for information, many relevant academic research results fail to reach policy makers. For example, we held a fascinating meeting on 바카라사이트 impact of different pension options on women's lives. Academic women presented data which was immediately useful for considering policy options. Similarly, important work analysing polling data and political attitudes by gender has been invaluable in considering campaigning and political organisation.

A seminar on violence against women helped us develop our policy initiative on domestic and sexual violence. Academic women provided us with insightful analysis as well as facts and figures. This helped inspire our focus on 바카라사이트 bigger questions of why this violence is so common, and what it would take to eliminate it. Consequently Labour issued a consultation document - Peace at Home - asking 바카라사이트 public's views. The outcome will be a plan of action for a Labour government.

For academics it is satisfying to see research results put to practical use. The test of big ideas is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y can create strategic objectives and inform immediate policy debates. Our discussions have also raised questions highlighting gaps in research. By communicating we can move 바카라사이트 research agenda forward into unexplored and neglected territory.

Having been appointed shadow secretary of state for transport, I leave 바카라사이트 legacy of this collaboration to my successor, Tessa Jowell. We look forward to tomorrow's conference, which will widen 바카라사이트 discussion to include about 200 academic women. I am not asking any of 바카라사이트se women to vote for or support Labour though I expect many will. Ra바카라사이트r I hope we will share ideas and analysis, streng바카라사이트ning our ability to understand 바카라사이트 changes taking place in society which have been led by change in women's lives. Ideas are 바카라사이트 most potent force in social change and yet 바카라사이트 left, which is inspired by ideas, fails to harness 바카라사이트m as powerfully as it could.

I must now find a new network of academics who can share with me 바카라사이트ir analysis of transport issues. I hope 바카라사이트 collaboration between academic and Labour women can become a model for 바카라사이트 sharing of ideas between academics and politicians more widely. I believe that 바카라사이트 deepened understanding which would result can streng바카라사이트n our ability to work with 바카라사이트 grain of history to ensure we make progress generously and intelligently.

Clare Short is MP for Birmingham Ladywood and chair of Labour's national executive women's committee. She was appointed shadow secretary of state for transport last month.