Three The Conservative Party and the ‘Big Society’
-
Nick Ellison
Abstract
This chapter examines the origins and nature of the Big Society ‘project’ to consider how the idea fits with the Coalition government’s social policies. It argues that the idea of the Big Society has been informed by three broad perspectives within the Conservative Party these are: ‘Burkean’, ‘pragmatic’ and ‘compassionate’ perspectives. It notes that while the perspectives have much in common in advocating decentralisation and the promotion of civil society, there are critical differences in tone, emphasis and task, which not only result in the Big Society remaining a fairly unfocused and heterogeneous ‘vision’, but which also might result in it taking different forms in the different policies of government ministries. It adds concerns about the feasibility of the Big Society, in terms of both the adequacy of the level of government funding committed to supporting Big Society initiatives, and the capacity of the third sector to fill the gaps created by the withdrawal of central government, in a way that is ‘socially and spatially coherent’.
Abstract
This chapter examines the origins and nature of the Big Society ‘project’ to consider how the idea fits with the Coalition government’s social policies. It argues that the idea of the Big Society has been informed by three broad perspectives within the Conservative Party these are: ‘Burkean’, ‘pragmatic’ and ‘compassionate’ perspectives. It notes that while the perspectives have much in common in advocating decentralisation and the promotion of civil society, there are critical differences in tone, emphasis and task, which not only result in the Big Society remaining a fairly unfocused and heterogeneous ‘vision’, but which also might result in it taking different forms in the different policies of government ministries. It adds concerns about the feasibility of the Big Society, in terms of both the adequacy of the level of government funding committed to supporting Big Society initiatives, and the capacity of the third sector to fill the gaps created by the withdrawal of central government, in a way that is ‘socially and spatially coherent’.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- Notes on contributors v
-
Symposium on the Coalition government
- Conservative social policy: from conviction to coalition 7
- Something old and blue, or red, bold and new? Welfare reform and the Coalition government 25
- The Conservative Party and the ‘Big Society’ 45
- The age of responsibility: social policy and citizenship in the early 21st century 63
- Debating the ‘death tax’: the politics of inheritance tax in the UK 85
- The debate about public service occupational pension reform 103
- Welfare to work after the recession: from the New Deals to the Work Programme 127
- Lone parents and the Conservatives: anything new? 147
- A treble blow? Child poverty in 2010 and beyond 165
- The English NHS as a market: challenges for the Coalition government 185
-
Education in international context
- Citizenship education in international perspective: lessons from the UK and overseas 211
- “You’re only going to get it if you really shout for it”: education dispute resolution in the 21st century in England 233
- A sin of omission: New Zealand’s export education industry and foreign policy 257
- Student security in the global education market 281
- Exporting policy: the growth of multinational education policy businesses and new policy ‘assemblages’ 303
- Index 323
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- Notes on contributors v
-
Symposium on the Coalition government
- Conservative social policy: from conviction to coalition 7
- Something old and blue, or red, bold and new? Welfare reform and the Coalition government 25
- The Conservative Party and the ‘Big Society’ 45
- The age of responsibility: social policy and citizenship in the early 21st century 63
- Debating the ‘death tax’: the politics of inheritance tax in the UK 85
- The debate about public service occupational pension reform 103
- Welfare to work after the recession: from the New Deals to the Work Programme 127
- Lone parents and the Conservatives: anything new? 147
- A treble blow? Child poverty in 2010 and beyond 165
- The English NHS as a market: challenges for the Coalition government 185
-
Education in international context
- Citizenship education in international perspective: lessons from the UK and overseas 211
- “You’re only going to get it if you really shout for it”: education dispute resolution in the 21st century in England 233
- A sin of omission: New Zealand’s export education industry and foreign policy 257
- Student security in the global education market 281
- Exporting policy: the growth of multinational education policy businesses and new policy ‘assemblages’ 303
- Index 323
