Before the 'Big Society' there were 'Active Communities'.
Or at least an expressed desire on the part of New Labour that communities should be encouraged to become active.
That initiative coincided with my taking on the role of Chief Executive of a charity dedicated to encouraging exactly that, active communities.
The charity was founded during the First World War by an Army Chaplain in Belgium and in the immediate post war years armed with the communion role from Talbot House, what today we might call a data base, he contacted all those on the role and encouraged them to become active in building a better society in response to the fact that they had survived and in memory of their fallen comrades.
The charity continues to this day trying to build better communities.
Unfortunately my approaches to the active communities unit fell on deaf ears, stony ground and ignorance of the charity which always aimed to do good by stealth, as the founder declared, do something useful every day, but don't get found out.
Also because it was almost a hundred years old it wasn't new or novel and of course Mr Blair always liked things to be new, as in New Labour.
I used to tell a joke about Tony Blair quizzing St Peter at the pearly gated entrance to heaven, welcome Mr Blair says St Peter, aah, says Mr Blair I was just wondering before I glottal stop by, this is the New Heaven isn't it?
Eventually active communities fell by the wayside of politics to be followed in turn by the Big Society, which has it seemed followed it into oblivion.
Now it seems, from Mr Cameron's recently reported speech, we are looking forward to the efficiency of the Small State.
Small Stateism is now the way forward.
More efficient and needing less tax pounds to run.
It means of course that there will be less folk tied up in running it. But, according to the speech less managers means more Doctors.
The problem with politics and politicians is that too often rhetoric replaces reality. Reality is what we experience as we struggle with the business of managing the indoor critic's MS, on a daily basis.
Sitting in the waiting room yesterday waiting for our appointment with the Neurologist I read an article in Enable Magazine about the effect of Government cuts on the disabled.
It quoted Mr Cameron: 'Fairness means giving money to help the poorest in society. People who are sick, who are vulnerable, who are elderly - I want you to know we will always look after you. That's the sign of a civilised society'.
Was Mr Duncan Smith present for this speech I wonder?
Since making that speech in 2010, the disabled as a group have seen Disabled Living Allowance replaced with Personal Independence Payments, ATOS assessments introduced and the bedroom tax, resulting in a £500M drop in global income for those relying on the extra support needed to cope with their disabilities, whilst Local Authority care budgets have been cut by £2bn.
Fair?
Looked after?
Civilised?
Active Communities were deactivated, the big society has been reduced to the small state.
Promises have been broken.
Or at least an expressed desire on the part of New Labour that communities should be encouraged to become active.
That initiative coincided with my taking on the role of Chief Executive of a charity dedicated to encouraging exactly that, active communities.
The charity was founded during the First World War by an Army Chaplain in Belgium and in the immediate post war years armed with the communion role from Talbot House, what today we might call a data base, he contacted all those on the role and encouraged them to become active in building a better society in response to the fact that they had survived and in memory of their fallen comrades.
The charity continues to this day trying to build better communities.
Unfortunately my approaches to the active communities unit fell on deaf ears, stony ground and ignorance of the charity which always aimed to do good by stealth, as the founder declared, do something useful every day, but don't get found out.
Also because it was almost a hundred years old it wasn't new or novel and of course Mr Blair always liked things to be new, as in New Labour.
I used to tell a joke about Tony Blair quizzing St Peter at the pearly gated entrance to heaven, welcome Mr Blair says St Peter, aah, says Mr Blair I was just wondering before I glottal stop by, this is the New Heaven isn't it?
Eventually active communities fell by the wayside of politics to be followed in turn by the Big Society, which has it seemed followed it into oblivion.
Now it seems, from Mr Cameron's recently reported speech, we are looking forward to the efficiency of the Small State.
Small Stateism is now the way forward.
More efficient and needing less tax pounds to run.
It means of course that there will be less folk tied up in running it. But, according to the speech less managers means more Doctors.
The problem with politics and politicians is that too often rhetoric replaces reality. Reality is what we experience as we struggle with the business of managing the indoor critic's MS, on a daily basis.
Sitting in the waiting room yesterday waiting for our appointment with the Neurologist I read an article in Enable Magazine about the effect of Government cuts on the disabled.
It quoted Mr Cameron: 'Fairness means giving money to help the poorest in society. People who are sick, who are vulnerable, who are elderly - I want you to know we will always look after you. That's the sign of a civilised society'.
Was Mr Duncan Smith present for this speech I wonder?
Since making that speech in 2010, the disabled as a group have seen Disabled Living Allowance replaced with Personal Independence Payments, ATOS assessments introduced and the bedroom tax, resulting in a £500M drop in global income for those relying on the extra support needed to cope with their disabilities, whilst Local Authority care budgets have been cut by £2bn.
Fair?
Looked after?
Civilised?
Active Communities were deactivated, the big society has been reduced to the small state.
Promises have been broken.
No comments:
Post a Comment