Commentary
Here's what our guest writers and some of our own people have to say about Big Society:
[back to the Big Society site]
The Big Society: who are you?
By Natalie Bateman, Fishburn Hedges
What is the Coalition Government known for? The rose garden partnership? An emergency budget? Free schools? All are events or ideas that will define what David Cameron and Nick Clegg did (or didn’t) achieve while in office. The Big Society, on the other hand, although one of the Government’s flagship policies, has caused confusion and disagreement ever since the rose garden partnership was formed. Nobody seems to know what it is.
Business and the Big Society: An experimental approach
By Joe Manning, policy advisor, Design Council
David Cameron has argued that through the Big Society “the grip of state control will be released and power will be placed in people’s hands.” This radical shift in the relationship between the citizen and the state will take place by public service reform, so that schools, social services, planning and even prisons are more responsive to the needs of those using them; and through social action, to encourage more people to play an active role in society. This will be achieved through charities, workers' co-operatives, social enterprises and above all, businesses.
How big business can help remove the barriers to building the Big Society
By Andrew Hind, editor of Charity Finance magazine and former chief executive of the Charity Commission
The Prime Minister continues to find it difficult to get across his Big Society message. In yet another speech on the project on 23 May, David Cameron was as passionate as ever on the subject, saying that “the Big Society holds the key to transforming our economy, our society, and our country's future”.
It’s big, but is it clever? (15 February 2011)
By Jason Nisse, Fishburn Hedges
For someone who had a career in communications, David Cameron is getting in a right old messaging muddle over the Big Society.
Semantic Society (27 January 2011)
By Guy Corbet, Fishburn Hedges
We recently held one of our regular Front Room focus groups to probe a little into what, if anything, people think about the Big Society. The discussion prompted me to think about how fixated everyone's becoming with the language.
Business receives Big Society marching orders (6 December 2010)
By Peter Chalkley, Fishburn Hedges
It strikes me that the Big Society is a bit like sex, if you’re a teenager anyway. Everyone’s been talking about it, but nobody’s quite sure what it is.
What is the Big Society? (19 November 2010)
By Guy Corbet, Fishburn Hedges
As someone who has been struggling a little to understand what the Big Society actually is, means or will do, Editorial Intelligence’s excellent “is the Big Society working?” breakfast talk has shone a little light into some previously dark corners.
Where do individuals fit in the Big Society? (29 October 2010)
By Rose Beynon, Fishburn Hedges
I recently attended a debate at BBC Broadcasting House that was billed as ‘Names not Numbers – Individuality in a Mass Age’, but which quickly morphed into a rather more political discussion askng the question - Where do individuals fit in the Big Society?
There’s no such thing as the big society. There’s just society. (31 August 2010)
By Gordon Hector, Fishburn Hedges
Like it or loath it, the phrase ‘big society’ looks like it’ll stick around for a while. Most people would say that as a concept and an expression, it’s not going to do the Conservatives much good with voters.
Nudge versus the network (25 August 2010)
By Rose Beynon, Fishburn Hedges
Anyone interested in the coalition’s idea of the Big Society, the policy it may lead to and the implementation of this policy, must read this report from the RSA - 'N Squared' by Paul Ormerod.