Big Society? It's all a blur
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 
Well, this is getting silly. Last night's Voices of Freedom debate attracted almost 80 people, with some having to stand or sit in doorways and on the floor. Every exit was blocked - talk about health and safety!! We were getting a bit hot under the collar when someone opened a window and we could all breathe a little easier.
Chaired by Claire Fox (Institute of Ideas) with her usual energy and charm, the meeting asked the question "Is a Big Society a free society?". After 75+ minutes listening to our speakers I have to admit that I was none the wiser.
I did however like the quote that Simon Hills attributed to Arthur Ransome (whose books I loved as a child) who said something along the lines of, "The best governments are those under which the people don't feel they're being governed".
Click HERE to see how one member of the audience followed the event on Twitter.
And here's my take on the evening, posted on Facebook:
Simon Clark
Dr Eamonn Butler (Adam Smith Institute), one of last night's speakers, has sent me his notes. He writes:
I’m not sure what Big Society means either, but it’s better than Big Government. David Cameron’s original idea was to devolve power to neighbourhoods, boost social activism and social responsibility, get government to promote social action and help social entrepreneurs. Practical measures included a Big Society Bank, to finance local groups and a Neighbourhood Army or organisers.
I don’t subscribe to Margaret Thatcher’s dictum that ‘there is no such thing as society’. We are inherently social creatures. Half the world lives in cities. Even the free market rests on complex social interaction, with social rules of ethics and trust. As Edmund Burke put it, our attachment to social groups is the glue that keeps a country together.
Government should cut with the grain of this social dimension. Over 600,000 of us are employed in more than 60,000 charitable and voluntary groups, turning over £28 billion a year. Such groups can deliver many public services – getting people off welfare and into work, for example – better than state organisations. We need to cut the bureaucracy, like CRB checks, that discourage volunteering. Restore the National Lottery to its original purpose. And let local people start up new schools and take over the running of parks and libraries.
We don’t, of course, need government leading us by the nose with its Big Society Bank or Neighbourhood Army of people to organize us. That just nationalizes and distorts genuine community action. There is a role for government in creating the Big Society – but that role amounts to standing out of the light and letting it grow in its own way.
Reader Comments (5)
""The best governments are those under which the people don't feel they're being governed".
WHAT a beautiful quote !
The problem today is that Government is the Perfect Business, with:
Access to unlimited funding (on demand).
A captive market (whose extent it alone decides).
Unlimited opportunities for product-creation and placement (sky's the limit).
No regulation (it makes the rules).
Minimal accountability to 'stakeholders' (possible board-change only once every five years).
The ability to bomb you, fine you, or imprison you if you get in its way.
No need - ever - to show a profitable return (it controls the books).
No real competition.
No previous experience necessary.
Yep - just perfect !
You can see why Socialists - especially the sort who rail against the Evils of Capitalism - love it SO much.................................................
(Yeah, I know: Socialism's just about Being Nice To Poor People)
Yes Simon it was most enjoyable in spite of the rather odd ramblings of the Chelsea and Westminster Conservative set at question time. Thought that Claire did great job chairing the meeting (a Marxist with a sense of irony?).
Simon,
I enjoyed the meeting last night unfortunately had to leave early and to my good fortune had a brief discussion with Dr Patrick Basham on his speech in the House of Commons which I attended earlier in the afternoon.
Sean.
These are terrific nights out and the intellectuality and level of debate is first class, all washed down with Boisdale's finest vino.
I was a bit of a naughty boy yesterday. Went to the House Of Commons and listened to Dr. Patrick Basham's presentation of his paper, watched the World Cup in the Westminster Arms with a group from the House Of Commons, the IEA debate and down the pub for a night cap.
Hic, lots of Facebook messages that my cohorts were feeling a little delicate today, me too.
thanks for the heads up... as I am attending the meeting on thursday I will make sure to arrive early, bag a seat and use lashings and lashings of anti -persp ! looking forward to a lively debate !