Ed Miliband's 'One Nation' just means 'The State'

I am one of those who believe that pessimism is a luxury that no Tory can allow himself. So, whilst we can watch Mr Miliband's speech and congratulate him for some political ingenuity — regarding his 'One Nation' clarion call — in practice this gives Conservatives a tremendous opportunity: a chance to reinvigorate the Big Society.

For Labour, 'One Nation' still remains another way of saying “the State”. Looking at his speech closely, Mr Miliband argues for “collective action” through the mechanisms of the State. This has been the Socialist cry through the ages; alleviate poverty through redistribution using the levers of Government. He still is arguing for a high-spending, high-tax social-democratic state.

Another thought: “One Nation” as expounded by Disraeli was intrinsically “Tory” — it spoke for tradition, not for its own sake, but because it provided an anchor of stability between the generations. For Labour, the '500 year old Oak Tree' is anathema because their view of “One Nation” means Year Zero.

Instead of uniting, Mr Miliband's Year Zero seeks to divide. If you have inherited wealth (except, of course, if you come from Hampstead Liberal stock), if you went to a posh school, then automatically you are placed in the category of “undesirable”. An opening for class war — and an opening, too, to create an “internal enemy” — the actions of demagogues throughout the ages, and hardly the stuff of 'One Nation'.

So, back to the Big Society. Although occasionally mangled in its delivery, the Big Society represents a real Conservative idea of One Nation. Behind these two words are the concepts that: social capital (family, community) is as important as economic capital; that people power is important as economic power (local democracy v state power); and that social entrepreneurs are as important as state entrepreneurs. Above all, it seeks to buttress and support the long traditions of British communitarianism at its best.
Conservatives have a great One Nation story to tell — and sell — it’s just not the same thing as the state. Let's reclaim it now, before it is too late.

This article also appeared on Conservative Home earlier today.

by Robert Halfon MP - Working Hard for Harlow.

Spending time with Harlow Street Pastors

You may have read the Harlow Star headlines last week: Harlow 'becoming safer', according to new crime figures.

After spending time with Harlow Street Pastors (www.harlow.streetpastors.org.uk) last week, I have little doubt that this is in part due to their work.

Run like a military operation, the Street Pastors is a truly remarkable faith-based Community organisation.  Trained volunteers, they meet at St Paul's Church and go out on patrol late at night, offering support and friendship to adults - pouring in and out of pubs and nightclubs.  The Pastors help vulnerable young women - sometimes high on drink or more - get home safely via cabs and public transport.

The Street Pastors also lower the temperature of the late night drinking culture - by giving out moral support to those who need it.

All the while the pastors are on patrol, there are volunteers manning the operations room at the Church.  Some are logging telephone call situation reports, others making tea and toast for the patrollers - when they return from their first shift at Midnight - before going out again until 04:30.

Outside the Church, there are 'prayer warriors' all across Harlow who stay up until 02:00 and pray for those the Pastors find in distress. The Patrollers phone the nerve centre, who then call the homes.  Many of the prayer warriors are pensioners, who demonstrate their commitment to faith by supporting the street pastors in this way.

The Harlow Street Pastors not only assist the police and night club security in combating anti-social behaviour, but they also have saved lives: assisting those who are paralytic, others from freezing from hypothermia.

I was astounded by the work of the Street Pastors: I knew about it, but had not yet seen them in action.  Their quiet faith and commitment to helping Harlow is so incredible, it seems almost impossible to believe that they exist.

There is an old Jewish saying:

"whoever saves a life, saves the world".

I thought of that as I drove home from St Pauls at 00:30 on Saturday morning, knowing that whilst I was on my way to bed, the Street Pastors would be patrolling Harlow Town Centre for another three hours.

Foodbank nominated as local charity of the year and praised in the House of Commons

 

The work of the Harlow Foodbank has been praised by the Leader of the House of Commons, Sir George Young, after I highlighted the charity's achievements in the House of Commons.

The Harlow charity, which has now given food to more than 5,000 people since 2009, has been nominated for a national award.

A Parliamentary Motion highlights the work of Harlow Foodbank and welcomes the move by the Department of Work and Pensions to allow jobcentres to issue Foodbank vouchers.

The Harlow charity makes a real difference to the lives of people in Harlow, providing a lifeline to people who are going through a period of difficulty or crisis in their lives.

Sir George said:

 “I applaud the work of the Harlow food bank. I applaud the work that food banks do in constituencies throughout the country, making help available to people who, for whatever reason, have no cash at the end of the week, and I commend the work that is being done in Harlow.”

You can read the Motion HERE.

My weekly newsletter: Plea for Big Society to help 'the little society'

My weekly newsletter: Plea for Big Society to help 'the little society'
 
Dear Resident,

In Harlow
It continues to be a busy time getting round to visit various organisations and key people in the consituency.

It was great to see everyone get into the festive spirit and helping to raise money for St Clare Hospice, when they took part in the fundraising Santa Fun Run in Harlow Town Park.
I was delighted to be invited to officially open the new cafe at the Latton Bush Centre, Harlow (Monday, December 5). This will be a valued facility for the many people who work and visit the centre.

I try and visit as many of our local schools are possible on a regular basis and so it was great to be able to meet with Jane Hadlow, from Mark Hall School (Tuesday, December 6). It was also a pleasure to welcome Joe Dawson who spent a day with me at Westminster on a work placement from school.

I also visited Harlow College for the presentation of Keeping Safe awards, and visited OI Manufacturing in Edinburgh Way - this is the largest glass recycler in the south east.

In Parliament
We have heard much about the Big Society. This matters for small charities in Harlow,who are trying to bid for funds but keep being elbowed aside by the 'Tesco' charities from London.

It is crucial that the smaller charities and organisations in Harlow and elsewhere receive support, and that includes funding, if they are to be able to do what the Government intends them to do under the Big Society umbrella.

I led the committee which this week published a report which concluded that more needs to be do if the Big Society is to work as the Government intended.

This week I was able to highlight the good work of the Catch22 charity which does so much good work locally helping to steer young people away from crime.

I mentioned the organisation when I spoke during a debate on crime and prisoners when I highlighted the fact that 40 per cent of prisoners had been excluded from school. I asked the Minister if he would work with the Department for Education and charities such as Catch22.

Last week I gave my backing to the Harlow-based national charity Grandparents Association’s campaign which is calling for the right for grandchilden to be allowed to have a minimum of ‘letter box’ contact with their grandparents - if it is safe to do so.

As part of the campaign I joined representatives from the association to present a petition to Number 10 Downing Street which has been signed by more than 7,200 people.
     
The Government decided to reverse a plan to take away from people with disabilities in residential care homes the 'mobility disability component' of their benefits. This is to be welcomed.

I was made aware of the situation by a number of residents andam glad the Government has listened. The ‘mobility disability component’ is important to people with disabilities if they are to retain a vital element of independence.

During a debate on decentralisation I asked if the Government would consider giving extra powers to up-and-coming new towns such as Harlow, especially now that our town is an enterprise zone. The Minister's reply was encouraging: watch this space.

Finally, the Apprentice Minister John Hayes gave his backing to the new apprentice school that I am setting up in Parliament, with charity New Deal of the Mind and Harlow College. I asked whether he would set up a Government apprentice school using public contracts, to tackle youth unemployment. Again, he agreed to look at the idea: something that is very promising for 2012, I hope.

Big Society needs to help 'the little society'

Harlow charities must be able to access funding –and not lose out financially to the larger national organisations.

A parliamentary select committee highlights concerns that the so-called Big Society does not do enough to help 'the little society'.

I have worked for many years helping to raise the profile of social action work in Harlow, and it was my passion for social action and the Harlow community that led me to join the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) on which I led the report which is published today.
I am a keen supporter of the Big Society and the involvement of local charities and organisations.

In September I held my own Social Action Week and visited various Harlow organisations to see first-hand how they work, and to see the valued services they provide.

Among the organisations visited were St Clare Hospice, where I met some of the many volunteers, Harlow Foodbank (which prepares food parcels for local people) and Harlow Talking Newspaper.

These are just some of the dozens of local organisations which are playing a key role in helping others and providing services which are valued by many local people.

However for these to be even more successful in the years to come they need some guarantee on funding, and that is where the Big Society initiatives should be helping them.
In the report PASC warns that the Big Society is hampered by the lack of a clear implementation plan, leading to public confusion about the policy agenda, 18 months into the coalition Government’s administration.

The committee states that the project requires substantial change in Whitehall and to the nature of government.
PASC has yet to see how the government will engage these charities and voluntary groups who wish to do so to deliver public services - the ‘little society’ rather than big business and ‘Tesco’ charities.

The committee concludes that there are two major steps the Government needs to take, or the Big Society will not achieve what the Government intends.

This is to create a single Big Society Minister who has a cross-cutting brief, to help other Ministers drive through the agenda and implement an impact assessment, to be applied to every Government policy, statutory instrument, and new Bill, which answers the simple question: “what substantively will this do to build social capital, people power, and social entrepreneurs?PASC says early examples in practice like the Work Programme have left service providers such as the charitable sector – who would play a major role in the Big Society - with serious reservations.

The danger is that big contractors and the largest charities continue to dominate at the expense of small and local providers.

EU contracting rules need to be revised and smaller providers should be consulted on the legislative and bureaucratic barriers.

There needs to be a cultural shift in Whitehall departments.PASC recommends greater clarity on the roles of charitable, private and public providers of public services.

The ambition to open up public services to new providers has prompted concerns about the role of private companies which have not thus far been adequately addressed by Ministers.

Serious concerns about the wider financial health of the charitable sector have prompted warnings that the Big Society project is being undermined by reductions in grant funding by local authorities.

EU delays to setting up the new bank, Big Society Capital, are contributing to the funding gap. Social impact bonds have the potential to transform public services, but progress is slow.PASC also asks the Government to outline how crucial issues of accountability, quality and regulatory powers will be managed in the Big Society project; in particular accountability for public expenditure.

PASC may conduct a further inquiry on the question of ministerial accountability in the light of devolution, localism and the Big Society policies.
PASC chairman Bernard Jenkin said: “The Prime Minister has placed the Big Society project at the centre of his political agenda and it occupies a central place in the Coalition Agreement. “Translated into policies, it means opening up public services to new providers, increasing social action and the devolution of power to local communities and citizens.

“Many welcome these objectives, but this was never going to happen overnight. To make a change of this magnitude successfully will take a generation. It represents a whole new way of ‘doing Government’. “However, so far, the government has not been clear enough about what the Big Society means in practical terms. There is a lot of confusion among the public and the new providers how the Big Society policies are expected work in practice. Not all public services are suitable to be delivered by charities and not all charities are willing or capable of delivering services.

“Many would like to but cannot cope with the bureaucratic burdens of public contracting. Some charities and community groups have shown that they can provide some public services at better value for money than those delivered by the state.

“The problem is they are likely to experience significant barriers to progress unless the culture and skills in the departments commissioning such services change.

“In essence, this is the challenge: to build the ‘little society’, rather than the ‘Tesco’ charities that are skilled at tendering.“We await the publication of the results of the consultation following the Open Public Services White Paper, but following that the Government must produce a comprehensive and coherent change programme.

“Without this, attempts to bring about change will be defeated by inertia.”

The Science behind Community Action: Foodbank and Talking Books

At Harlow Foodbank

Harlow Foodbank

Reading at Harlow Talking Newspapers

High-Tech memory stick recording machine 

To Harlow Foodbank this morning to pack and weigh tins. Whilst I have visited Foodbank a number of times - and have actively been campaigning in Parliament to allow job centres to hand out food vouchers - until today, I was never aware of the science of Foodbank.

All food that is donated is weighed, and put carefully into packs. Each pack is carefully listed to ensure that there is a nutritional variety. That means packs will contain, exact numbers of tinned fruit, tea, pasta, beans and some tinned meat and vegetables. The organisation behind this is enormous - and meticulous. All down to the volunteers of the Michael Roberts Charitable Trust.

Later in the afternoon I went to Harlow Talking Books, upstairs at the Town Centre Library. Again the science behind the operation was astonishing: Talking newspapers is run with military precision.

In the afternoon, volunteers arrive to cut articles from newspapers into reading format. Later, the readers arrive (I was one of those), and the articles are read and recorded by computer onto a memory stick. The reading goes on for ninety minutes (taken in turn by the readers), watched over by a computer operator, introducer and concluder.

After, the memory stick is then put into a machine so it can be copied onto many other memory sticks (which all go into the one machine). These are then sent off in yellow envelopes to all the listeners at their homes.

The listeners, plug the memory sticks into a mini MP3 player which are supplied free of charge. Once the memory sticks are listened to, the listeners then send the envelopes back, already addressed, as all they have to do is to turn the card address on the envelope around.

The mechanics of all this are quite remarkable - all the more so for being done entirely by volunteers with a shoestring budget.

I really enjoyed my time as a Reader at Talking Newspapers, all the more so because I was able to see the genius of just how it all is done.

A really fulfilling day.

Vote for Razed Roof charity to win £10,000

If you have a spare minute today, please vote for Harlow charity Razed Roof to win £10,000 from the National Lottery Good Causes fund.

You can vote HERE.

Razed Roof is a really amazing organisation and they deserve all the support possible. Please do vote for them if you have a chance.

You can see more details in the video below, or on their website here:




by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Harlow Community Update

Passmores School Community Action Day: I spent last Thursday with Passmores School students and Head, Vic Goddard. All the students have a day of social action where they visit community projects and help in one way or another. Some were at Harlow Foodbank, others at Pets Corner, or Sam's Place and much more besides. The commitment was extraordinary - but most were loving the day out of the classroom too! The social action project was part of Essex 'Love where you live' initiative'.


Science Alive:  To the first birthday celebrations of our very own Science Museum - Science Alive at the Leisure Zone. Science Alive is all the more amazing, because it is self-funding and has been a most tremendous success. It is one of the mioswt successful centres of science in the East of England.

Harlow College:  Two visits: first to the fashion show, which I have blogged about recently and second to meet students to discuss my parliamentary apprenticeship.  The College will be looking for a new apprentice to work with me in Parliament over the next year.  My Job was to explain just how the apprenticeship works. Incidentally, the Science Alive exhibit above, was made by Harlow College Students, as part of the College 'Big Push'.

Summer Fetes:  It's sunshine time, so loads of fetes are going on in and around Harlow.  I have been to St Mary's at Latton. Royal British Legion and St James Church too.  The trick is not to eat too much. Very hard.

Harlow Business:  Friday saw a day of visiting local businesses:  First Caremark, which provides quality care for patients in homes.  I was struck by the professionalism of the team and commitment of the management.  Second; to Harlow Seedbed Centre, to meet Go Express Couriers and a host of other businesses.  The Seedbed Centre provides a great number of business units at affordable prices.

Three short ways of Defining The Big Society

As 'The Big Society' seems to be dominating our airwaves at the moment - with much discussion as to its meaning, I thought I would offer my own three pennies worth:

1.  The Big Society says social capital - the glue that strengthens community - and binds communities together - is as important as economic capital.  You can't have one without the other.  Capitalism works best with strong communities.

2.  The Big Society believes that people power is as effective - if not more effective - than state power.  This means devolving power down to individuals to make decisions.  Lower taxes give individuals more economic power, direct political devolution to individuals and communities means more social power.

3.  The Big Society gives as much impetus to social entrepreneurs - those who use social action to transform their communities - as it gives to economic entrepreneurs.  Social Action is as essential as economic action and it needs to be incentivised.

Today the Prime Minister set out The Big Society in more detail.  You may want to read it HERE.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

The Big Society: what does it mean?

If David Cameron achieved one purpose during the Tory conference, it was to set out the Big Society as the centre-piece of the Conservative programme. Of course returning the economy to sound fundamentals - dealing with Britain's huge debt remains the immediate priority -but it is the Big Society in which the fundamentals of renewing the country rely upon.

The Big Society has one central aim: replenishing social capital  - more simply known as human association.  So strengthening families, active citizenry,  rebuilding communities and rolling back the intrusive state are the ends in which the Big Society replaces Big Government.  Social capital is as important to general well-being as economic capital is to economic well being.  Britain's broken society has largely come about because social capital has been greatly weakened.

Under the Big Society, individuals will be given the opportunity to set up their own schools, choose their own police commissioner, vote on planning issues and have a referendum on main local government matters such as finance. Localism rules.   In health, patients will have more choice and GPs will be able to run their own practices and carry out their own commissioning, without interference from the state.

Communities will also be given power to run their own affairs, with voluntary and neighbourhood groups given much more support and freed from unnecessary bureaucracy.  Financially they will be supported by a special Big Society bank.

Slowly, slowly, the Big Society is entering the mainstream of British life.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Report Back: The First 100 Days

It's been a busy three months since I became MP for Harlow and the surrounding villages. I still have much to learn, but it's been a whirlwind so far:

ROADS AND REGENERATION

• Traffic in Harlow has reached gridlock, but there is some good news. Regular readers will know that I have campaigned for an extra M11 junction for over four years. At last, we are starting to get somewhere. Since the election, I have worked with Essex Council to secure a major investment of over £500,000 into planning this. They have also now said that a new junction on the M11 is now their "number one priority in Essex". Also, I successfully pushed for a Commons debate on the M11 junction in order to get this higher up the agenda. Although we won't get a new junction for many years, at least we have got the ball rolling.

• I was proud for Harlow to open our refurbished train station recently. The new painting and lifts are fantastic. I hope to see more regeneration later this year.

• I have met privately with Government Ministers to make the case for the Health Protection Agency moving to Harlow. I have also spoken publicly in Parliament about this, and the urgent need for regeneration in our town, to make sure that this is high up on the Government's agenda.

APPRENTICESHIPS

• I'm very pleased to say that from October this year, I will hire an apprentice from Harlow College in my office. The apprentice will study Business Administration Level 3, and will be part-sponsored by Mr Dean Barclay of Harlow Greyhound Stadium, and also by Essex Council.

• I will be the first MP in the country to hire an apprentice, and I hope others will follow suit. Mr Dean Barclay has also generously agreed to sponsor Harlow apprentices in the construction and building trade.

• After a sustained campaign, including 6 debates in Parliament, I was delighted to secure extra funding for lone parents and students from deprived backgrounds at Harlow College. As I said in my first ever speech in the House of Commons:

"If we give young people the necessary skills and training, we give them opportunities and jobs for the future. It is about helping people to help themselves."

BIG SOCIETY AND COMMUNITY GROUPS

There has been quite a bit mentioned about the Big Society recently. In essence it means power transported away from Government down to the community level.

• The Big Society is so strong in Harlow that the Minister, Nick Hurd MP, recently visited Harlow Council, Rainbow Services and the Harlow Multi-faith forum, to consider Harlow for the next wave of the Big Society project. It was a successful visit, and I'm glad that the new Government is starting to take Harlow seriously at a national level.

• Since the election, I have met with over 80 community groups in Harlow and the villages, and helped them with local problems and issues.

POLICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY

• Following many tragic fatalities on the railways near Harlow, I have called for more to be done to combat the loss of life. In Parliament, I have asked the Government to set up a new volunteer force of Special Rail Guards to improve rail safety, along the same lines as the Special Constables. They would be genuinely local people who help their community, by volunteering a few hours a month. I hope to meet with the Police and Government Ministers in the autumn to drive this forwards.

• I have also met with the Chief Constable of Essex, Mr Jim Barker-McCardle, to discuss how crime and anti-social behaviour can be reduced. Following this, the Home Secretary has agreed to meet with Mr Barker-McCardle and I to discuss the challenges of reducing crime and police reform in Harlow.

• I have championed Special Police Constables. Essex is an important county, because we have one of the largest force of Specials in England. I have asked the Government to look at transforming Special Constables into a Territorial Army-type force, to boost community policing in Harlow and across the UK.

CASEWORK

• In three months, I have sent over 5,596 emails and letters, helping local people with their problems or issues they raise. This is an average of 62 per day, including Saturdays and Sundays.

• I have held 11 surgeries in 3 months, and have seen 134 people individually.

• Major casework victories include securing a new Pelican crossing for Velizy Avenue, in the town centre, and £900,000 to improve our cycle ways along Southern Way.

P.S. If you would like to know more visit my website www.roberthalfon.com.

For my regular surgeries, please call 01279 311451.

For a tour of Parliament, please call 0207 219 7223.

Big Society Day

There has been quite a bit mentioned about The Big Society recently. In essence this means power transported away from Government right down to community level. It is about liberating social capital to unleash community spirit - empowering local charities and voluntary groups to do what they do best - without government or bureacracy getting in the way.

On Thursday, I mentioned that charities Minister Nick Hurd was coming to town to see Harlow's Big Society alive and well. It was a very successful visit, as the Minister met with local councillors, and a range of community bodies including Rainbow Services, Michael Roberts Charitable Trust, Harlow Multi-faith forum and members of the Harlow Youth Council (including a visit to the Youth Cafe).

The purpose of his visit was not just to see the strength of the Big Society in our town, but to also urge the Minister to consider Harlow in the next wave of support from the national Big Society project. This would involve support for extra community organisers and some funding to strengthen some community projects.

It was a successful visit, which included the launch of Harlow Council Big Society Team and new Harlow Big Society Website. This website is well worth looking at closely, as it sets out Harlow Council's commitment to the Big Society and support for vibrant community organisations. As the website states, the role of the Harlow Big Society is as follows:

"Harlow Council has launched its own Big Society Team and is working together with Rainbow Services to take forward a range of services and initiatives that reflect Government aims to build strong, involved communities where people have a say in local decision making; where public services are opened up to new providers like charities and social enterprises and where social action and volunteering opportunities are encouraged and supported".

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Very Busy Harlow day: Big Society, Courts, Art, Hairdressers, Harlow Hospital Radio

Today is a really busy day in Harlow. It starts off with a visit by Charities Minister Nick Hurd MP to our town to see the our Big Society in Action. He will be meeting with Rainbow Services, and other community groups. I am really looking forward to this, as Harlow Council and I are pushing hard for Harlow's thriving community organisations to benefit from the Bug Society reforms planned by the Government.

I then go to the County Court and some solicitors, to discuss the Government consultation on closure of Magistrates and County courts. This is followed by the new sculpture exhibition at Harlow Civic Centre. Then I will go off to launch Maria's Hair Salon at Slacksbury Hatch and finally a dinner with the fantastic Harlow Hospital Radio.

I will get a good night's sleep this evening!

P.S. Tomorrow, I have a drop-in surgery at Harlow Welfare Advice Centre from 0900-1100. All welcome.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Government Minister to Visit Harlow

A GOVERNMENT Minister will visit Harlow on Thursday, July 29, to see the great work being done by our town's charities.

Nick Hurd MP, the Minister for Civil Society, will visit social enterprises such as the Michael Roberts Charitable Trust and Rainbow Services.

In the House of Commons this week, Mr Hurd congratulated the voluntary efforts and achievements in the town, and said: "I am delighted to hear that the big society is alive and well in Harlow."

Hinting that Harlow could be a pilot project for the new Government, Mr Hurd added: "I look forward to seeing what is being done (in Harlow), what we can learn from it and what we can build on."

When I was first elected, I promised to champion community groups. That's why it is great that Nick has accepted my invitation to visit Harlow.

Community activism is a core part of Conservatism: supporting families, local schools, faith groups and the like. They are the best way of rebuilding our broken society.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

General Election Day Fifteen: Meeting First Time Voters

To BBC (Radio) Essex today for Hustings with First Time Voters. It was a really enjoyable event and I was struck by the thoughtful questions asked by the Students. A number wanted to know how Government and politicians could connect with young voters : in short why was it worth voting?

My answer was that we Conservatives believed in people power. Instead of Big Government telling you what to do , it was the Big Society putting people in charge. We would give parents more choice over their schools, allow new ones to be established, give people a chance to vote for a Police Commissioner and allow referendums on council tax if residents were unhappy with the Council budget. People Power versus State Power. I thought that this resonated with the audience, although one said that he was too busy to have all that power in his hands! The answer to him was that if he didn't want it, he didn't have to - that was the beauty of choice. I added that more housing and extra apprenticeships would be key priorities for helping young people have the right opportunities for the future.

Other questions centred around job opportunities, jobs, anti-social behaviour and immigration. You can hear the whole debate on BBC Essex at 0900 this Thursday 22 April and on the Internet from 1200 on the same day.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

A most important speech: The Big Society

David Cameron yesterday gave what I believe to be one of the most important speeches he has made since becoming Conservative leader. I say this without exaggeration as I really believe the proposals contained, could help transform community renewal up and down our country.

Community activism, is a core part of Conservatism: Strengthening local communities - supporting families, neighbourhood groups, local schools, faith groups and the like, are the best way of rebuilding our broken society. In fact I have written about it HERE.

What the Conservative Leader set out yesterday, was a series of measures to transform the very nature of community activities. These include the following:

• Neighbourhood army of 5,000 full-time, professional community organisers who will be trained with the skills they need to identify local community leaders, bring communities together, help people start their own neighbourhood groups, and give communities the help they need to take control and tackle their problems. This plan is directly based on the successful community organising movement established by Saul Alinsky in the United States and has successfully trained generations of community organisers, including President Obama.
• A Big Society Bank, funded from unclaimed bank assets, which will leverage private sector investment to provide hundreds of millions of pounds of new finance for neighbourhood groups, charities, social enterprises and other non-governmental bodies.
• Neighbourhood grants for the UK’s poorest areas to encourage people to come together to form neighbourhood groups and support social enterprises and charities in these poorest areas.
• Transforming the civil service into a ‘civic service’ by making regular community service a key element in civil servant staff appraisals.
• Launching an annual national ‘Big Society Day’ to celebrate the work of neighbourhood groups and encourage more people to take part in social action projects.
• Providing new funding to support the next generation of social entrepreneurs, and helping successful social enterprises to expand and succeed."
  
  

All these proposals, alongside local devolution, elected police commissioners, parental right to set up their own schools, public service co-operatives and local referenda on key areas such as finance and housing, will do much to put the punch into community power. They mean a shift from Government diktat down to communities.

Potentially, some of the most fundamental shifts of power from Government to society, since Margaret Thatcher devolved economic power from the state to consumers.

You can read Mr Cameron's Speech HERE and read The Big Society Policy Document HERE.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com