I went to a debate this week organised by Edelmans on 'The Big Society'. The panel was suitably worthy and included Nick Hurd, whose ministerial responsibility it is to propound the idea for the government, and various hacks across the political divide including Peter Oborne and Kevin McGuire from the Mirror. The argument, predictably, batted between the 'new vision of society' and 'a fig-leaf for cuts' without getting much above motherhood and apple pie. There was overall agreement that it was a ‘good idea’.
The question I wanted to ask, and which I couldn’t despite waving my hand (I never normally do this), was how the Big Society was going to work in a society of ghettos? Middle class involvement in village life is a given – its already happening – but what about the black spots of long-term unemployment where the middle classes only go to get votes or drugs? How is the Big Society going to work there? With the reform of housing benefit this ghettoization is only going to increase as the underclass is progressively ‘kettled’ in housing estates at the bottom of the pile rather than, as currently, mixed in with the rest of the population. I am not making any comment on the housing benefits reform but there is, it seems to me, an inherent contradiction and tension between that reform and the ‘Big Society’, one which this panel of ‘bien pensants’ failed to either identify or address.
Monday 13 December 2010
Changing London
Sunday 14 November 2010
Singular Courage
Crap Design Prize
Friday 5 November 2010
A life's work
Monday 1 November 2010
The book that saved the world
Wednesday 13 October 2010
Lucky Bob
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Libya by Microlight
Wednesday 1 September 2010
In praise of the editor
Friday 6 August 2010
Mandy's memoirs
Wednesday 14 April 2010
Avalanche
Soixant Huitards
Thursday 1 April 2010
Disraeli Gears
Saturday 27 March 2010
Cultural difference
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Charles Ellingworth | All rights reserved.