Even by the standards of recent Conservative Prime Ministers, David Cameron’s time in that role was devoid of much worth. In fact his twin behemoths of austerity and Brexit left gaping scars on UK politics from which it is still recovering (and maybe never will). However, and I hate myself for saying this, Cameron did bring to government one almost useful idea: the Big Society. Perhaps his only not completely hideous brainchild, it sought to empower community and to promote “people power“.
Unsurprisingly the plan did have ulterior motives; it was not all sunshine and rainbows. Interwoven into its promises, was Cameron’s love affair with the ideals of neoliberalism. Its main aim was to help the reduce the size of the state and push through his budget cuts.
Big Society does however provide a blueprint for a government policy to breed solidarity, something that has probably never been in greater need than now. The rise of the far right and the division it has sown have left the concept of unity bloodied and raw. Solidarity is not only important for delivering social justice but also for protecting democracy. It could also be used change the relationship between charities and government for the better.
The goal of creating the Big Society does at first glance not seem a very Conservative idea. Nurturing community spirit and encouraging volunteering seem more like the promises you would find in a socialist or at least leftist manifesto. In his speech announcing the policy, Cameron established the policy’s aim to promote community self-help and to “turn government completely on its head”. This showed his desire to use it to reduce the size of the state, getting community and charity to fill the gaps. In short the policy sought to hide the cruel face of austerity behind a compassionate mask of charity and “freedom.”
To pull this policy out of the dustbin of history and recycle it for good doesn’t seem an obvious option for any progressive government. However if used in the right way, a reformed concept of Big Society can be used for real good and to deliver real change. Its key ideas of promoting community, volunteering as well as forming closer ties between state and charity all provide solutions to some of the UK’s most pressing problems.
Promoting community is an important way to reverse the destruction of solidarity caused by years of political civil war and neoliberal mauling of the welfare state. A society which empowers community would not allow people to fall through the gaps. This is vital for protecting democracy, encouraging the mindset of voting for the good of all and not just for the prosperity of one’s own pockets. This works not only to improve democratic outcomes but in turn to remedy the disillusionment with politics and politicians, which is notably high. On a less ideological level, a close knit community is much better at dealing with local issues.
A drive to promote volunteering would also fall under the sheltering umbrella of Big Society. Volunteering is a key way not only to promote compassion but also to put more troops on the ground in the country’s many battles to protect its health and prosperity. Exposure to the problems of other citizens is the only way to ensure understanding of the hardships they face. This will help the rebuilding of solidarity but ensure that compassion is also kindled to help counter the rhetoric of the far right.
Big Society also paves the way to cultivate new perceptions of charities. In austerity Britain, they have too often taken the role of sticking plasters over wounds that need much more care to heal properly. Charities and their workers hold invaluable information about the fields they work in. If they had a larger role in government they would be able to find solutions much more efficiently than the average politician with a background in finance or journalism. Charity should not be viewed as the alternative to the state but if the two worked together politics would be able to go much further in its attempts to deliver change.
My call for Big Society is not for the reheating of Cameron’s 2010 deceivingly sweet concealment of austerity. Instead it’s for a shift in policy that will allow community, charity and government to work in unison. Only by doing this will we be able to solve the biggest problems on our political doorstep and political horizon. For this reason: now is the time for Big Society.
