The papers are full of 'the Big Society' what is it? can it be defined? is it just a way of softening the cuts? how can it be better presented? will it define David Cameron's premiership?
Watching the City Derby on Saturday I found myself thinking about the Big Society. Now here's a thing, look at what is represented on the pitch, how many nations? Sir Alex is a Scot, Roberto Mancini, Italian, the players representing a variety of nations. There was a uniting of nations on the pitch. The game was played in front of a crowd of seventy five thousand and a quick look around revealed the coming together of supporters from the City of Manchester representing its wide ethnicity and diversity. This was a big society. Watching on TV from around the world hundreds of thousands who, immediately that Rooney scored the winning goal, were sending a tidal wave of facebook messages. And the goal expanded the big society even further as it appeared to be both impossible and touched with a genius from another galaxy.
I have started to write about it a couple of times but so far everything I have written just seems to repeat what others are saying and there's little point in that.
But I continue to feel uncomfortable with the idea which seems to me to have arrived direct and undigested from an Eton social studies class via the Bullingdon Club.
The first thing to say is that most people seem to think that it is simply a cover for the cuts, big society, small government. That it is about volunteering, or social enterprise or even Academies and handing NHS commissioning directly to GP's
My misgivings lie deeper than the immediate impact the idea has. I am also deeply wary of the role of Philip Blond the so called 'Red' Tory in promoting the idea of the big society insofar that he appears to be attempting to make some connection between philosophy and theology and the idea of caring conservatism.
This weekend I was visiting with family in Bradford. Friday I went along to the swimming baths with my son in law and granddaughter, Saturday watched the match and sat down to eat a curry in the evening. In between times there were games, conversation, parties and my grandson wore his 'I love Genova' T Shirt.
Then on Sunday we went across to Cartwright Hall to see an exhibition called connect. The idea is an exhibition connecting people and places.
Sitting in front of David Hockney's Le Plongeur I suddenly realised what is wrong with the big Society. It is in fact a small idea. It serves to make Britain great again by making the world smaller. It is an anglophone idea.
But the exhibition in Bradford, with it's connections between people and places the world over, defines what makes Britain. From the sculpture of the Alpaca and the Mohair Goat in the entrance hall to Salimi Hashima's Zones of Dreams the visitor is reminded again and again of people. places, connections and that we are part of a fluid, interconnected, dynamic and constantly changing world.
This government, with its resistance to fully joining Europe despite being part of Europe, its limits on migration despite immigration being a key to creating future wealth and its emphasis on borders and boundaries being protected and secure, is not promoting a big society at all.
The notion of a truly big society must be one in which individuals and communities are open and accessible, one in which security comes from the respect we show each other, one in which freedom is a given.
A truly big society will possess both global vision and local application.
Great blog Geoff - I look forward to more.
ReplyDeleteI share some of your concerns over the issues related to the notion that the 'Big Society' is just a small idea in interesting packaging.
It appears as usual it is there for politicians to score points with for the media to manipulate and distort to their best advantage thus missing the opportunity.
The reality is that since the 17th Century the UK has had the concept of the 'Big Society', in times of real trouble it has come to the rescue.
When you look at one instance of a person attempting the same idea (a person we both have an interest) Tubby Clayton, he was able to galvanise individuals, businesses, communities, politicians, education and religion to 'do something' and this was evident between WW1 and WW2, he did not limit that society.
Sadly the legacy of that action although still with us today has produced organisations, projects and communities have become dependent not 'moving on' there is the issue, great ideas owned centrally because of funding or civic society constraints.
Some of the problems come when political endeavour disenfrachises people of all groups, creating a ball to be knocked over a net. It fragmented the notion of a common identity and created a gulf that is probably too big to traverse today.
The repoliticization of the 'Big Society' removes the obligation that you come to in the last full paragraph "a truly big society must be one in which individuals and communities are open and accessible....".
It is a great time to debate but also the right time to act, yes the age old principle of 'act local' does suggest there is so much more to this than national identity.
Having never met Mr Cameron I can't make the call on if this will define his premiership however we can examine what we do and ask does the vision find a place in my personal life? am I giving not expecting or demanding? rights ahead of responsibilities? all these things can indicate how we truly understand and interpret the 'Big Society'
A stimulating way to start the week.