Big Society
Encyclopedia
The Big Society was the flagship policy idea of the 2010 UK Conservative Party general election manifesto. It now forms part of the legislative programme of the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement
. The aim is "to create a climate that empowers local people and communities, building a big society that will 'take power away from politicians and give it to people'.". While some have responded to the policy favourably, its aims have been queried and disputed by other commentators.
A website www.the-big-scoiety.org was launched to provide people with a platform from which to communicate ideas, as for help, offer help, infact anything that promotes a better society. Anything can be added as long as it comes from a place of compassion.
The Big Society has no political affiliation. It is an opportunity to dismiss rhetoric and make a positive change.
Recently the idea was also launched in the 2010 Conservative manifesto and described by The Times
as "an impressive attempt to reframe the role of government and unleash entrepreneurial spirit". Nat Wei, one of the founders of the Teach First
charity, was appointed by David Cameron to advise the government on the Big Society programme.
The plans include setting up a Big Society Bank
and introducing a national citizen service
. The stated priorities are:
It is supported by a Big Society Network, which says it "exists to generate, develop and showcase new ideas to help people to come together in their neighbourhoods to do good things."
The Big Society has some similarities with the Stewardship
ideology of Dutch Christiandemocratic party CDA
.
relaunched the initiative on 19 July 2010 with a speech at Liverpool Hope University
, accompanied by screenwriter and television producer Phil Redmond
.
in addition to the money from dormant bank accounts. David Cameron
wrote that he would 'prefer to see more positive headlines about the "big society", but [was] very upbeat about the torrent of newsprint expended on this subject.' and that 'The big society is about changing the way our country is run. No more of a government treating everyone like children ...let's treat adults like adults and give them more responsibility over their lives.' The UK government reportedly plans to unlock £78bn in charitable assets for big society and hand over up to 25% of public service contracts to private and voluntary sector. But Ed Miliband
suggested that the Big Society is a "cloak for the small state".
Nat Wei, who was appointed "Big Society Tsar", is reducing his time commitment to this work (as reported on 12 Feb. 2011) and Shaun Bailey
and Charlotte Leslie
are being moved into the Cabinet Office
to work on the project.
Sir Stephen Bubb
welcomed the idea of the Big Society, but is concerned about cuts to government money going to charities, whereas Brendan Barber
said it meant that David Cameron's "ideal society was Somalia
".
, argues that although "there is little in the coalition
government's agenda that is entirely novel. What is new is the scale of change required.", the Big Society agenda is "a system shift". Ben Rogers, in an opinion piece published in the Financial Times
, suggested that 'the most interesting thing about [Cameron's] speech [to the Conservative Party Conference] were its sections on the “Big Society”', and that "Most of the political problems Mr Cameron faces, from cutting crime to reducing obesity, can only be met if residents and citizens play their part". However, Rogers went on to state that "the state has so far invested very little in teaching the skills that could help people make a contribution", highlighting what he perceived to be a fundamental flaw in the programme.
Ed Miliband
said that the Conservatives were "cynically attempting to dignify its cuts agenda, by dressing up the withdrawal of support with the language of reinvigorating civic society".
In July 2010 Anna Coote at NEF
wrote that "If the state is pruned so drastically ... the effect will be a more troubled and diminished society, not a bigger one".. In November 2010 a report by NEF suggested that "There are strong, sensible ideas at the heart of the ‘Big Society’ vision... [but] for all its potential, the ‘Big Society’ raises a lot of questions, which become more urgent and worrying in the light of public spending cuts" The Telegraph's
Ed West concluded that "The Big Society can never take off," placing the blame on the socialist ideology held by some of the British public. Also writing for The Telegraph, Mary Riddell said "the sink or swim society is upon us, and woe betide the poor, the frail, the old, the sick and the dependent" whilst Gerald Warner felt that "of all the Blairesque chimeras pursued by David Cameron, none has more the resonance of a political epitaph than “Big Society”.
The national office of Unite the Union
for the community and non-profit sector, suggested that "The ‘Big Society’ is smoke and mirrors for an avalanche of privatisation under the Tories". And Dave Prentis
, General Secretary of UNISON
suggests that "The Government is simply washing its hands of providing decent public services and using volunteers as a cut-price alternative [...] Public services must be based on the certainty that they are there when you need them, not when a volunteer can be found to help you".
Of the political weeklies, the left leaning New Statesman
said "Cameron's hope that the Big Society will replace Big Government is reminiscent of the old Marxist belief that the state will 'wither away' as a result of victorious socialism. We all know how that turned out. Cameron has a long way to go to convince us that his vision is any less utopian". Also referring to Marx, the award-winning political cartoonist Steve Bell
in the Guardian
on 21 January 2011 and the Guardian Weekly newspaper on 28 January 2011 adapted Marx's slogan "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need
" for the Big Society: "From each according to their vulnerability, to each according to their greed".
Dr. Lorie Charlesworth, an academic from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
, compared the system to the Old Poor Law, and suggested that "any voluntary system for the relief of poverty is purely mythical".
Anna Coote, head of Social Policy at the independent think-tank New Economics Foundation
, interviewed in Channel 4
's investigative programme Dispatches (broadcast on 14 March 2011), stated the Big Society is about "privatising the welfare state on a massive scale". The programme explored the increasing degree to which the companies Serco
, G4S and Capita
are being paid to carry out work previously performed by central and local government authorities, in competition with local charities and the voluntary sector; the latter are unable to compete with these groups, which are making large profits from such outsourcing contracts.
said that "Cameron hoped to lessen financial shortfalls by raiding dormant bank accounts. It’s a brilliant idea in theory".
In August 2010 the historian James Hunter stated that the transfer of ownership into community control had brought about "a spectacular reversal of Gigha's
slide towards complete population collapse" and suggested that the UK Government should learn lessons from this and other community buy-outs in places such as Assynt
, Eigg
, and Knoydart to inform their Big Society plans.
Ben Brogan in the Telegraph thought: "We demand vision from our would-be leaders, and here is one who offers a big one, of a society rebuilt from the ground up".(31/03/2010)
Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement
The Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement was a policy document drawn up following the 2010 general election in the United Kingdom...
. The aim is "to create a climate that empowers local people and communities, building a big society that will 'take power away from politicians and give it to people'.". While some have responded to the policy favourably, its aims have been queried and disputed by other commentators.
Background
The Big Society is a communual idea of fellowship, It is a society based on compassion and love rather than profit. We often hear people saying that they would like to help others but rarely do we see this turn into action. In The Big Society we do just this.A website www.the-big-scoiety.org was launched to provide people with a platform from which to communicate ideas, as for help, offer help, infact anything that promotes a better society. Anything can be added as long as it comes from a place of compassion.
The Big Society has no political affiliation. It is an opportunity to dismiss rhetoric and make a positive change.
Recently the idea was also launched in the 2010 Conservative manifesto and described by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as "an impressive attempt to reframe the role of government and unleash entrepreneurial spirit". Nat Wei, one of the founders of the Teach First
Teach First
Teach First is an independent educational charity United Kingdom, Reg. No. 1098294, founded in 2002. Its mission is to address educational disadvantage by transforming exceptional graduates into effective, inspirational teachers and leaders in all fields...
charity, was appointed by David Cameron to advise the government on the Big Society programme.
The plans include setting up a Big Society Bank
Big Society Bank
The Big Society Bank is a bank planned by the UK Government to help finance projects under the banner of the Big Society. Launched by Prime Minister David Cameron in July 2010 the BSB is expected to begin operations in Q3 2011...
and introducing a national citizen service
National Citizen Service
National Citizen Service is a non-military national service for 16-year olds in England. It is being piloted in 2011....
. The stated priorities are:
- Give communities more powers (localismLocalism (politics)Localism describes a range of political philosophies which prioritize the local. Generally, localism supports local production and consumption of goods, local control of government, and promotion of local history, local culture and local identity...
and devolutionDevolutionDevolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
) - Encourage people to take an active role in their communities (volunteerism)
- Transfer powerDecentralization__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
from centralCentral governmentA central government also known as a national government, union government and in federal states, the federal government, is the government at the level of the nation-state. The structure of central governments varies from institution to institution...
to local governmentLocal governmentLocal government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government... - Support co-ops, mutuals, charities and social enterpriseSocial enterpriseA social enterprise is an organization that applies business strategies to achieving philanthropic goals. Social enterprises can be structured as a for-profit or non-profit....
s - Publish government data (open/transparent governmentOpen governmentOpen government is the governing doctrine which holds that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government to allow for effective public oversight. In its broadest construction it opposes reason of state and racist considerations, which have tended to legitimize...
)
It is supported by a Big Society Network, which says it "exists to generate, develop and showcase new ideas to help people to come together in their neighbourhoods to do good things."
The Big Society has some similarities with the Stewardship
Stewardship
Stewardship is an ethic that embodies responsible planning and management of resources. The concept of stewardship has been applied in diverse realms, including with respect to environment, economics, health, property, information, and religion, and is linked to the concept of sustainability...
ideology of Dutch Christiandemocratic party CDA
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
.
July 2010 launch
Following the 2010 general election, David CameronDavid Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
relaunched the initiative on 19 July 2010 with a speech at Liverpool Hope University
Liverpool Hope University
Liverpool Hope University is a university in Liverpool, England. Two of its three founding colleges were established in 1844 and 1856, the third opening in the 1960s. It is the only ecumenical university in Europe. Based on two campuses, the main campus is located in Childwall and the second...
, accompanied by screenwriter and television producer Phil Redmond
Phil Redmond
Phil Redmond CBE is an English television producer and screenwriter.He is well-known for creating several popular television series such as Grange Hill , Brookside and Hollyoaks...
.
Vanguard areas
Four initial 'vanguard areas' were selected:- LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Merseyside (withdrew from pilot in February 2011) - EdenEden, CumbriaEden is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Penrith. It is named after the River Eden which flows north through the district toward Carlisle....
, Cumbria - SuttonLondon Borough of SuttonThe London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
, Greater London - Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire
Developments in 2011
In 2011 major UK banks agreed to add £200M to the funding of the Big Society BankBig Society Bank
The Big Society Bank is a bank planned by the UK Government to help finance projects under the banner of the Big Society. Launched by Prime Minister David Cameron in July 2010 the BSB is expected to begin operations in Q3 2011...
in addition to the money from dormant bank accounts. David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
wrote that he would 'prefer to see more positive headlines about the "big society", but [was] very upbeat about the torrent of newsprint expended on this subject.' and that 'The big society is about changing the way our country is run. No more of a government treating everyone like children ...let's treat adults like adults and give them more responsibility over their lives.' The UK government reportedly plans to unlock £78bn in charitable assets for big society and hand over up to 25% of public service contracts to private and voluntary sector. But Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
suggested that the Big Society is a "cloak for the small state".
Nat Wei, who was appointed "Big Society Tsar", is reducing his time commitment to this work (as reported on 12 Feb. 2011) and Shaun Bailey
Shaun Bailey
Shaun Bailey is a British Afro-Caribbean youth worker. He stood for the London constituency of Hammersmithas a Conservative at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
and Charlotte Leslie
Charlotte Leslie
Charlotte Ann Leslie is a British Conservative Party politician. She was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Bristol North West constituency on 6 May 2010.She attended Badminton School and Millfield....
are being moved into the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
to work on the project.
Sir Stephen Bubb
Stephen Bubb
Sir Stephen John Limrick Bubb JP FRSA is Chief Executive of the UK charity leaders representative body Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations . He received a knighthood in 2011 for his services to the voluntary sector...
welcomed the idea of the Big Society, but is concerned about cuts to government money going to charities, whereas Brendan Barber
Brendan Barber
Brendan Paul Barber has been the General Secretary of the United Kingdom's Trades Union Congress since June 2003.-Early life:...
said it meant that David Cameron's "ideal society was Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
".
Response
Simon Parker, Director of the New Local Government NetworkNew Local Government Network
The New Local Government Network is a United Kingdom think tank which was founded in 1996. Its director is Simon Parker, previously of Demos, the Institute for Government and the Confederation of British Industry....
, argues that although "there is little in the coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
government's agenda that is entirely novel. What is new is the scale of change required.", the Big Society agenda is "a system shift". Ben Rogers, in an opinion piece published in the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, suggested that 'the most interesting thing about [Cameron's] speech [to the Conservative Party Conference] were its sections on the “Big Society”', and that "Most of the political problems Mr Cameron faces, from cutting crime to reducing obesity, can only be met if residents and citizens play their part". However, Rogers went on to state that "the state has so far invested very little in teaching the skills that could help people make a contribution", highlighting what he perceived to be a fundamental flaw in the programme.
Negative
Labour'sLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
said that the Conservatives were "cynically attempting to dignify its cuts agenda, by dressing up the withdrawal of support with the language of reinvigorating civic society".
In July 2010 Anna Coote at NEF
New Economics Foundation
The New Economics Foundation is a British think-tank.NEF was founded in 1986 by the leaders of The Other Economic Summit with the aim of working for a "new model of wealth creation, based on equality, diversity and economic stability"....
wrote that "If the state is pruned so drastically ... the effect will be a more troubled and diminished society, not a bigger one".. In November 2010 a report by NEF suggested that "There are strong, sensible ideas at the heart of the ‘Big Society’ vision... [but] for all its potential, the ‘Big Society’ raises a lot of questions, which become more urgent and worrying in the light of public spending cuts" The Telegraph's
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
Ed West concluded that "The Big Society can never take off," placing the blame on the socialist ideology held by some of the British public. Also writing for The Telegraph, Mary Riddell said "the sink or swim society is upon us, and woe betide the poor, the frail, the old, the sick and the dependent" whilst Gerald Warner felt that "of all the Blairesque chimeras pursued by David Cameron, none has more the resonance of a political epitaph than “Big Society”.
The national office of Unite the Union
Unite the Union
Unite – the Union, known as Unite, is a British and Irish trade union, formed on 1 May 2007, by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union...
for the community and non-profit sector, suggested that "The ‘Big Society’ is smoke and mirrors for an avalanche of privatisation under the Tories". And Dave Prentis
Dave Prentis
Dave Prentis is the current General Secretary of UNISON, the United Kingdom's largest trade union. He was originally elected on 1 January 2001 and was re-elected in March 2005, with 77% of the vote.-Early life:...
, General Secretary of UNISON
UNISON
UNISON is the largest trade union in the United Kingdom with over 1.3 million members.The union was formed in 1993 when three public sector trade unions, the National and Local Government Officers Association , the National Union of Public Employees and the Confederation of Health Service...
suggests that "The Government is simply washing its hands of providing decent public services and using volunteers as a cut-price alternative [...] Public services must be based on the certainty that they are there when you need them, not when a volunteer can be found to help you".
Of the political weeklies, the left leaning New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
said "Cameron's hope that the Big Society will replace Big Government is reminiscent of the old Marxist belief that the state will 'wither away' as a result of victorious socialism. We all know how that turned out. Cameron has a long way to go to convince us that his vision is any less utopian". Also referring to Marx, the award-winning political cartoonist Steve Bell
Steve Bell (cartoonist)
Steve Bell is an English political cartoonist, whose work appears in The Guardian and other publications. He is known for his left-wing views and distinctive caricatures.-Early life:...
in the Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
on 21 January 2011 and the Guardian Weekly newspaper on 28 January 2011 adapted Marx's slogan "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need is a slogan popularised by Karl Marx in his 1875 Critique of the Gotha Program. In German, "Jeder nach seinen Fähigkeiten, jedem nach seinen Bedürfnissen!"...
" for the Big Society: "From each according to their vulnerability, to each according to their greed".
Dr. Lorie Charlesworth, an academic from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies is part of the School of Advanced Study of the University of London. It was founded in 1946 as a national academic institution to promote and advance legal research, implementing a proposal of 1934 report of the Legal Education Committee chaired by Lord Atkin...
, compared the system to the Old Poor Law, and suggested that "any voluntary system for the relief of poverty is purely mythical".
Anna Coote, head of Social Policy at the independent think-tank New Economics Foundation
New Economics Foundation
The New Economics Foundation is a British think-tank.NEF was founded in 1986 by the leaders of The Other Economic Summit with the aim of working for a "new model of wealth creation, based on equality, diversity and economic stability"....
, interviewed in Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's investigative programme Dispatches (broadcast on 14 March 2011), stated the Big Society is about "privatising the welfare state on a massive scale". The programme explored the increasing degree to which the companies Serco
Serco Group
Serco Group plc is a government services company based in Hook, North Hampshire in the United Kingdom. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
, G4S and Capita
Capita Group
The Capita Group Plc , commonly known as Capita Group or Capita, is a business process outsourcing and recruitment company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the largest business process outsourcing company in the UK, with an overall market share of 27% in 2009, and has clients in...
are being paid to carry out work previously performed by central and local government authorities, in competition with local charities and the voluntary sector; the latter are unable to compete with these groups, which are making large profits from such outsourcing contracts.
Positive
The right leaning The SpectatorThe Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
said that "Cameron hoped to lessen financial shortfalls by raiding dormant bank accounts. It’s a brilliant idea in theory".
In August 2010 the historian James Hunter stated that the transfer of ownership into community control had brought about "a spectacular reversal of Gigha's
Gigha
The Isle of Gigha is a small island off the west coast of Kintyre in Scotland. The island forms part of Argyll and Bute and has a population of about 150 people, many of whom speak Scottish Gaelic. The climate is mild with higher than average sunshine hours and the soils are fertile.Gigha has a...
slide towards complete population collapse" and suggested that the UK Government should learn lessons from this and other community buy-outs in places such as Assynt
Assynt
Assynt is a civil parish in west Sutherland, Highland, Scotland – north of Ullapool.It is famous for its landscape and its remarkable mountains...
, Eigg
Eigg
Eigg is one of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an area of , it is the second largest of the Small Isles after Rùm.-Geography:The main...
, and Knoydart to inform their Big Society plans.
Ben Brogan in the Telegraph thought: "We demand vision from our would-be leaders, and here is one who offers a big one, of a society rebuilt from the ground up".(31/03/2010)
See also
- ResPublicaResPublicaResPublica is a British centre-right public policy think tank, founded in 2009. It describes itself as a multi-disciplinary, non party-political research organisation, whose aim is to create bold solutions to enduring social and economic problems.ResPublica has 7 advisory board members, 4 of whom...
, the think-tank associated with this policy - Coproduction of public services by service users and communitiesCoproduction of public services by service users and communitiesThe Coproduction of public services is the production of public services through the equal and reciprocal contribution of service users, communities and professionals, making use of their pooled resources, expertise and willingness to improve service processes and outcomes...
- Great SocietyGreat SocietyThe Great Society was a set of domestic programs in the United States promoted by President Lyndon B. Johnson and fellow Democrats in Congress in the 1960s. Two main goals of the Great Society social reforms were the elimination of poverty and racial injustice...
- Thousand points of lightThousand points of lightThe Thousand points of light was a recurring phrase in speeches given by George H. W. Bush. The term was coined by speechwriter Peggy Noonan. In his inaugural address on January 20, 1989, Bush said:...
- Community PoliticsCommunity politicsCommunity politics is a movement in British politics to re-engage people with political action on a local level.Most developed amongst the Liberal Democrats but adopted to some extent by the British Greens, other parties, and Independents....
External links
- Big Society at CabinetOffice.gov.uk
- Big Society at Number10.gov.uk
- David Cameron's Speech - The Big Society - November 10 2009, (Conservatives.com)
- Big Society Network community (non-government) website
- BBC - Have Your Say - a moderated public discussion on The Big Society
- Our Society Community-based network, focusing on big society sharing and practice that is already taking place
- The Big Society information and discussion at the National Council for Voluntary OrganisationsNational Council for Voluntary OrganisationsThe National Council for Voluntary Organisations is the umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector in England. NCVO works to support the voluntary and community sector and to create an environment in which an independent civil society can flourish...
- Big Society Series Series of articles on Big Society from EthosJournal.com