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This nation is a nation of tradition. Institutions can trace their ancestry through the history of this great nation. One of the greatest in many people's eyes is that of the Monarchy. William the Conqueror in 1066 became the earliest undisputed monarch of the UK and in doing so began a long tradition that, except for a small period between 1649 and 1660, has remained intact thereafter. According to an ipsos MORI poll conducted in 2006 72% of Britons still favour a monarchy and only 18% favour a republic.

In light of the startling revelations of The Afghanistan War Logs, there are important questions that we must ask ourselves, not just about the ongoing war in Afghanistan but about deeper questions of transparency and accountability in our society.

Today we begin to discuss Labour's journey of change. 

A party of organisers. Organising for a party of social justice and community. 

We have Hope not Hate, London Citizens, the Christian Socialist Movement Labour Neighbours Projects, Compass, and many examples in various Constituency Labour Parties.

If Nick Clegg wants to appeal to younger voters we've got plenty to say. This election should be an opportunity for a radical change in direction in the same way that the elections of 1945 and 1979 were for our grandparents and parents respectively. But we have been collectively failed by the electoral system. This key moment to determine our future threatens to pass us by as mainstream politics sees us as the least important demographic in the electoral calculus.

Now, more than ever before, Britain has a plural politics. In the last general election, smaller parties received a record one-third of the vote. And in last year's Euro-elections, where the proportional system meant that votes for smaller parties were more likely to be counted, that figure rose to well over half. And yet we are stuck with an electoral system which evolved in a time of two-party politics.

Whilst we hope and expect a 4th term Labour victory it's becoming clear that the Party will need to think carefully about how it renews and transforms itself in the long term and on that basis we want to hear your ideas for Transforming Labour!

One of the striking characteristics of the ongoing financial crisis and recent political scandals is that, although they have profoundly shaken our political economy, virtually no-one has broken the law. We will be living with the aftershocks of these events for years, possible decades, and there is a widespread perception that both of these systems of power have been found wanting; and yet, we seem at an almost complete loss as to know quite how to address what's happened as an issue of justice.

It's an appalling state of affairs, but there is an important area of English law which stops you hearing about medicines that don't work, stops the further reporting of allegations of toxic waste dumping by major international corporations and allows rich oligarchs and dictatorial Presidents to shield their actions through a thick cloak of legal obfuscation.

So with parliament accepting Jack Straw's amendment for a referendum to be held on changing the electoral system to the Alternative Vote what are the prospects for democratic renewal?

News that MPs will be asked to vote next week on whether to hold a referendum on electoral reform is a great result for all those who have tirelessly campaigned on this issue over recent weeks. Labour MPs should now throw their weight behind the call for change.