Thinking Differently About How Labour Governs, with Anna Coote, Andrew Harrop, Alison Mcgovern, Yvonne Roberts and Jon Wilson
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Fabian Review www.fabians.org.uk Summer 2012 Thinking differently about how Labour governs, with Anna Coote, Andrew Harrop, Alison McGovern, Yvonne Roberts and Jon Wilson PLUS: Mary Riddell interviews Liz Kendall MP AND: Policy ideas for the next Labour state The quarterly magazine of the Fabian Society Volume 124 no 2 £4.95 EDITORIAL Image: Adrian Teal New frontiers Revitalising the public realm means building a new culture in public services whilst thinking differently about the scope of government action when money is tight, says Andrew Harrop Frustrated, powerless, ignored – the trust, shared purpose, integration and support for any extension of govern- three words people most associate with interdependence – the complete op- ment spending on Labour priority areas their use of public services, accord- posite of the atomistic, hands-off world such as job creation, house-building or ing to new Fabian Society research. of free schools or healthcare by ‘any universal childcare. It is a sad testimony. For all the last qualified provider’. To offer ‘more’ in these areas Labour Labour government’s achievements in To forge a new agenda of values- will need to build public support and revitalising the public realm there was laden institutions and ecosystems also show where the money will come something missing. Ministers focused politicians will however have to move from. Whoever wins the next election, so much on ‘what’ services do, they public opinion. For our research indi- tough public spending choices will often ignored ‘how’ they do it. cates scepticism bordering on hostility therefore be needed. The authors of Our findings suggest that a new with regard to the ‘middle tier’ of our new book, The Shape of Things to politics of public service must focus public institutions above individual Come, argue that after 2015 it will only not on targets and structures but on schools or surgeries. Consider for be possible to restrain public spending relationships and values. When asked example the government’s failure to without causing further hardship by how services should be improved, win the case for elected city mayors. By tackling problems at source. Sometimes the public don’t dismiss the utility of contrast the public has an enduring if that will mean smarter, earlier govern- market-based choices, but they value ambivalent faith in ministers’ powers ment intervention, so that more is done freedoms for frontline staff and strong to hear bedpans falling from Whitehall. to prevent chronic illness, dysfunc- bottom-up accountability just as much. Labour’s new ‘state of mind’ also tional parenting or weak employment So we need a grown-up relationship means thinking differently about the prospects. But it also means embracing between public, staff and the leaders scope of government action when radical reform of the private sector to of public services. But this can’t just be money is tight. Our research confirms end the market failures which load willed through new rules; just as with there is no ideological support for a costs onto the taxpayer through, say, the banks, it needs a new culture. smaller state, with only 23 per cent of the cost of housing or poverty pay. Perhaps, as Jon Wilson suggests people (and one third of Conservative In the autumn the Fabian Society in these pages, the point of national voters) supporting tax cuts and a nar- launches an inquiry on public spend- politics should be to breathe life into rower range of public services. We ing choices to probe these questions. strong, autonomous non-market found enduring support for spending Chaired by Lord McFall, it will seek institutions endowed with the right on the ‘core’ public services we all to identify opportunities to restruc- professionalism, ethos and values? use – health, education and police. ture spending to deliver prosperity We also need to re-imagine public But with cuts set to continue into the and social justice even with flat or service ecosystems based on common next parliament there is little public shrinking budgets. Summer 2012 Fabian Review 1 FIGURE 2: Difference between per cent supporting tax rises to pay for more provision and tax cuts to pay for less (by party support) 60 40 20 CONTENTS Public Colleges and universitiesProgrammes to help Nurseries and childcare the unemployed housing 0 NHS Police Schools -20 Elderly care P3 “IN AREAS WHICH ARE TOP PRIORITIES FOR LABOUR, MANY MORE PEOPLE SUpport SPENDING CUTS THAN P13 “WE have TO have A faIR SYSTEM INCREASES” ACROSS GENeratIONS” -40 policies for the next state -60 P21 “SinCE THE 1970S SOCIALISTS have LOST Labour P15Swing-voters “LABOUR NEEDS A NEW COLiberalNCEPT IODemocratN OF THE state COConservativeNFIDENCE IN THEIR DOCTRINE IN THE face OF THE AS A partNER rather THAN PROTECTOR” NEO-LIBERAL COUNTER-REVOLUTIOn” The summer Fabian Review features new polling on people’s attitudes to public services and outlines some policy ideas to illustrate how the 8next Labour government’s approach to statecraft can be reconfigured 3 The language of priorities FABIAN INTERVIEW BOOKS Andrew Harrop 12 “I want to avoid a clash of the 24 Imagining a life after capitalism generations” Zoe Gannon THE STATE OF THINGS Mary Riddell 7 The relational reality THE FABIAN SOCIETY Yvonne Roberts 15 8 policies for the next state 25 Noticeboard 8 The ghostly state and invisible 20 Fabian Quiz 26 The Fabian Society today institution 21 The Fabian Essay: Socialism Georgia Hussey Jon Wilson now 28 The Summer in review 9 Beyond targets Kevin Hickson 28 Listings Summer 2012 Alison McGovern 10 The wisdom of prevention Anna Coote Editor: Ed Wallis General Secretary: Andrew Harrop MEMBERSHIP Deputy General Secretary: Marcus Roberts Membership Officer: Giles Wright Printed by: DG3 Local Societies Officer: Deborah Stoate London E14 9TE EVENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS Head of Events and Partnerships: FINANCE AND OPERATIONS Designed by: Soapbox Olly Parker Head of Finance and Operations: www.soapbox.co.uk Events and Partnerships Assistant: Phil Mutero FABIAN REVIEW Melanie Aplin Fabian Review is the quarterly ISSN 1356 1812 FABIAN WOMEN’S NETWORK journal of the Fabian Society. Like [email protected] EDITORIAL Seema Malhotra all publications of the Fabian Society, Head of Editorial: Ed Wallis [email protected] it represents not the collective view FABIAN SOCIETY Editorial Assistant: Sofie Jenkinson of the Society, but only the views of the 11 Dartmouth Street Media and Communications Manager: INTERNS individual writers. The responsibility London SW1H 9BN Richard Speight Rachel Chang of the Society is limited to approving Telephone 020 7227 4900 Jack Dahlsen its publications as worthy of Fax 020 7976 7153 RESEARCH Kari Johnson consideration within the Labour [email protected] Senior Researcher: Natan Doron Ben Sayah movement. www.fabians.org.uk Researcher: Rob Tinker 2 Fabian Review Summer 2012 THE LANGUAGE OF PRIORITIES The language of priorities Our new YouGov polling finds the public give short shrift to many of the left’s traditional spending priorities. To win public support in a tough fiscal environment, we’ll need bold ideas and strong arguments says Andrew Harrop of the eight areas of spending the most (57 per cent) of those expressing an popular option is ‘the current balance opinion wanted more spending. Andrew Harrop is is about right’ – around half support The news that eldercare is the pub- General Secretary of this view with respect to police, jobs lic’s top priority for any extra spend- the Fabian Society programmes, early years, schools, col- ing should provide a real boost for leges and universities. advocates for comprehensive reform of England’s disastrous social care system. But the rest of the results make Whoever wins in 2015 will face awful Not surprisingly Labour voters for grim reading for Labour politicians. public spending choices. The woeful are a lot more positive about In four areas which are top priorities for state of the economy means the deficit increasing spending on public the party, many more people support will remain high and there will be spending cuts than increases – across almost no scope for public spending services than Conservatives early years, colleges and universities, growth. So George Osborne smells and job programmes, for every two blood. He is quietly plotting a public In two fields, however, more people people who supported spending rises, spending review in 2013 to set out plans wanted a spending rise than a stand- three supported cuts. When it comes to for spending after 2015. He hopes he still. These were the NHS and, perhaps subsidised housing, a top priority for will force Labour into rejecting his plans more surprisingly, elderly care. Indeed many on the left, the results were even without an alternative – and losing any older people’s social care was the only worse: twice as many people want cuts hope of fiscal credibility in the process. one of our eight areas where a majority as increases. But where do people think the money goes now? And what are their priorities for spending in the future? New Fabian FIGURE 1: Would you prefer tax rates and the level of provision for each polling, conducted by YouGov, finds service to rise, or tax rates and the level of provision to fall, or is the some truly surprising answers, with balance about right? a mix of good and bad news for the left. After two years of the govern- Elderly care ment’s austerity narrative, ‘core’ areas NHS of public spending still receive very strong backing. But less mainstream Schools services which matter hugely to the left Police are little valued by the public, with one important exception. Nurseries and childcare Given the overall shortage of money, our polling was careful to present Colleges and Universities spending choices in a way that made it Programmes to help clear that any increase would imply a the unemployed tax rise.