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Building the Big Society Building the Big Society Defining the Big Society Delivering the Big Society Financing the Big Society Can big ideas succeed in politics? With Clive Barton, Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, Rob Brown, Sir Stephen Bubb, Patrick Butler, Chris Cummings, Michele Giddens, David Hutchison, Bernard Jenkin MP, Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP, Jesse Norman MP, Ali Parsa, Michael Smyth CBE, Matthew Taylor and Andrew Wates Clifford Chance 10 Upper Bank Street London E14 5JJ Thursday 31 March 2011 Reform is an independent, non-party think tank whose mission is to set out a better way to deliver public services and economic prosperity. We believe that by reforming the public sector, increasing investment and extending choice, high quality services can be made available for everyone. Our vision is of a Britain with 21st Century healthcare, high standards in schools, a modern and efficient transport system, safe streets, and a free, dynamic and competitive economy. Reform 45 Great Peter Street London SW1P 3LT T 020 7799 6699 [email protected] www.reform.co.uk Building the Big Society / Reform Contents Building the Big Society Introduction 2 Pamphlet articles 5 Full transcript 14 www.reform.co.uk 1 Building the Big Society / Reform Introduction Nick Seddon, Deputy Director, Reform The Big Society is this Government’s Big “lacking a cutting edge” and “has no Sir Stephen Bubb spoke in favour of this Idea. Part philosophy, part practical teeth”. Others are outright hostile. They feature of the Government’s public service programme, it is the glue that holds see it as a cover for cuts. “You can hardly reforms and argued for a partnership together the Coalition’s efforts to reduce build a bigger society if the very people at between the state and voluntary and the size of the state and make it work the heart of the vision are cutting back on charitable organisations, with the state much better for the citizen. In a speech on the work they do”, said Sir Stephen Bubb, withdrawing from the delivery of services 14 February 2011, the Prime Minister Chief Executive of ACEVO. Patrick Butler, but continuing to provide both funds and defended his idea for a Big Society and Editor of Society, Health and Education a strategic overview. Roberta-Blackman said that: “This is my absolute passion, Policy at The Guardian, believes the whole Woods MP, Shadow Minister for Civil I think it’s a different way of governing, a discourse has become “toxic” and that the Society, said that this redrawing the different way of going about trying to Government needs to find a new narrative. boundaries displayed continuity with many change our country for the better and it’s of the ideas and projects of the New To address these issues, Reform going to get every bit of my passion and Labour governments of 1997-2010. She convened a major policy conference, attention over the five years of this referenced decades of leftwing critiques of “Building the Big Society”. We brought Government.” Ministers – including the state and statutory services. Rob together around 150 delegates, from Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP, Minister for Brown, Senior Partner at PA Consulting, politics, journalism, public service, Government Policy, who is in charge of outlined a vision of a “Bold State” that business and the third sector to listen to the programme – have told us that the Big manages demand, understands needs and debate the presentations of a range Society means more volunteering, and makes markets. In his view the state of high profile speakers on the topic. The stronger local government and, most should remove itself from all management aim of the conference was to engage with importantly, new ways of delivering public of services and instead work with citizens the ideas – and act as a practical forum to services. Reform has spoken to to help them commission the services develop them into workable solutions for organisations that exemplify all of these they need. This would require greater delivery and financing. ambitions – from charities providing health strategic capacity in the state to and education to private companies Defining the Big Society understand need and direct resources, organising their employees to help in the Bernard Jenkin MP, Chair of the Public but the result in his view would be a community. But in truth these were things Administration Select Committee, which is smaller, more potent state. they were doing long before this undertaking a review of the Big Society, Delivering the Big Society Government was elected. Is the Big opined that we were “in danger of making If the Big Society is about restructuring Society a new paradigm – or an old this much too complicated”, quoting and reengineering services, the task is to paradigm rebranded? Edmund Burke to suggest that at essence identify the areas where the state can the concept is about a return to “the little Reform has been holding a series of make a real difference and add value, platoon we belong to in society”. Michael sell-out meetings on this subject. The ceasing to do things that do not contribute Smyth CBE, Visiting Professor at Queen main reason for such interest is that, a enough value. Citizen-consumers would Mary, University London, suggested that year on, people are still trying to be empowered, supply would be although the Big Society has no clear understand what it means. Among the liberalised. The Big Society has to be definition it does not need one: “if it does many challenges for the Government, less about involving the widest possible range nothing but raise consciousness as to the than half of the population have ever heard of individuals and organisations, private, optimal relationship to be found between of the Big Society, according to the polls. public, voluntary and hybrid in public individual responsibility, local innovation It divides those who have heard of it. The services and social action. So far, the and civic action will it not have done concept has been criticised as vague, Coalition Government’s Ministers have good?” Then again, in his address to the woolly and confusing by political described the Big Society very heavily in conference Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP opponents and allies alike. Even the terms of a “soft” word cluster – that is, a was clear that a vital dimension is opening evangelical Lord Wei, the Government renewed civil society with revivified civic up public services by enabling charities, Advisor on the Big Society, says it is institutions such as charities and voluntary social enterprises, private companies and “mysterious”. Vincent Nichols, the organisations. Some 700,000 charities mutuals to offer people high quality Archbishop of Westminster, said it is and voluntary organisations across the services. 2 www.reform.co.uk BuildingPaying for the long Big termSociety care / Reform / Reform country make a huge contribution and making companies. The impression given not apart from it.” A joined-up approach perhaps they can do more. But on their by Downing Street is that it wants the to society and the economy should seek own they won’t be able to meet the private sector off the table for this to boost growth through new enterprise challenges faced over the coming years Parliament. and business, since job creation is likely with soaring demand and shrinking to be a decisive factor in building strong Financing the Big Society supply. Already, in his commentary about local communities and economies. The The corollary of smaller, smarter how fiscal consolidation is translating into money under management in mainstream government has to be an expanding local government cuts, Patrick Butler financial services dwarfs the money being non-state sector – greater individual described a “Napoleonic retreat. In the funnelled in through social investment, so responsibility, enhanced civil society chaos good charities and vulnerable financial services organisations can work organisations, ownership of services beneficiaries are being left along the way.” to invest a greater proportion of assets in transferred out of public hands, social investments, while building the The central role that profit making contestability for any organisation that resources and expertise necessary to companies can play has been almost can demonstrate high standards and evaluate the opportunities presented by entirely missed. This is not to say that the affordability. Although money will continue these assets. To date, not enough has market in public services should be to flow from central and local government been said about the role of venture capital loaded in their favour. But it is to departments and authorities, through and private equity investment. The recognise that for-profit companies are commissioning and procurement balance of risks and incentives needs to uniquely suited to the needs of the arrangements, there will be much less of be sufficiently attractive for investors to moment – eliminating the government it. As Liam Byrne, former Chief Secretary see a return for their investment in deficit and improving public services. In to the Treasury, put it last year, “there is addition to the Big Society receiving a fact, only for-profit companies have the no money left”. The next wave of reform financial injection. Reform will continue to scale to make the big changes that will, therefore, require new sources of build understanding of the conditions ministers need to see happening. It is the funding. We need to understand how to needed to introduce fresh investment in profit motive that gives companies turbo-boost capacity and scale as well as our public services. another crucial incentive – to cut costs capability in the non-state sector. – which is in perfect harmony with the Can big ideas succeed in politics? One way is to develop innovative needs of the day.
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