Power to the People (the white paper)
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Last week's white paper 'Communities in control: real people, real power', launched by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears, sets out a radical approach to local services, bang on the Co-operative Party agenda. In fact, the document even makes specific reference to co-ops:
Community ownership is the big one. As the White Paper says, "Where local asset management and ownership works well, it can create a new cadre of active citizens, owning, directing and running a service as well as providing good value for money for local authorities and other public bodies. It can support the creation of new co-operatives, mutuals and social enterprises which are responsive to local needs, reflect local ambitions and which generate loyalty from the local community." Coin Street Builders is an example given, and community land trusts are another key co-op idea being supported in this field.
Tenant empowerment and housing co-operatives are also supported. The document makes an important point about those communities which are trusted and empowered in one area then taking more responsibility and involvement elsewhere: "We support the spread of strong, viable, well managed, financially robust and democratically accountable housing cooperatives, where homes are owned by residents in mutual organisations, rooted in the principles of democracy. Being a member of a housing cooperative can lead to other forms of engagement. For example 10 per cent of tenants living in Redditch Co-operative Homes are also school governors. We have supported the call for evidence from the Mutuality in Housing Commission and will be considering the findings of their report which is exploring how mutual housing solutions could successfully be expanded in England once it is published.
Great news - you wait ten years for radical steps on the way to a co-operative commonwealth, and then three come along at once...
We want to see stronger local councils, more co-operatives and social enterprises, more people becoming active in their communities as volunteer, advocates and elected representatives. We want to see public services and public servants in tune with, and accountable to, the people they serve. Democracy is not about a cross in a box every five years, but about a way of life. It should flow around us like oxygen.In the detail, there are important commitments on public engagement, community democracy and accountable public services. These include the 'community kitties' which will allow local spending priorities to be set; the £70m Communitybuilders fund to increase the capacity of the voluntary and social enterprise sector to demand and deliver better services; the transfer of community assets like markets and community centres to local people; a renewal of local democracy and the role of parties and politicians.
Community ownership is the big one. As the White Paper says, "Where local asset management and ownership works well, it can create a new cadre of active citizens, owning, directing and running a service as well as providing good value for money for local authorities and other public bodies. It can support the creation of new co-operatives, mutuals and social enterprises which are responsive to local needs, reflect local ambitions and which generate loyalty from the local community." Coin Street Builders is an example given, and community land trusts are another key co-op idea being supported in this field.
Tenant empowerment and housing co-operatives are also supported. The document makes an important point about those communities which are trusted and empowered in one area then taking more responsibility and involvement elsewhere: "We support the spread of strong, viable, well managed, financially robust and democratically accountable housing cooperatives, where homes are owned by residents in mutual organisations, rooted in the principles of democracy. Being a member of a housing cooperative can lead to other forms of engagement. For example 10 per cent of tenants living in Redditch Co-operative Homes are also school governors. We have supported the call for evidence from the Mutuality in Housing Commission and will be considering the findings of their report which is exploring how mutual housing solutions could successfully be expanded in England once it is published.
Great news - you wait ten years for radical steps on the way to a co-operative commonwealth, and then three come along at once...
Labels: Hazel Blears, local government, parliament, public engagement
