Davy Jones Consultancy

David Cameron relaunched the Big Society again on Monday 23 May, saying: “ We must build a bigger stronger society”.

No one would disagree that people should play more of a role in their local communities. The question is how do we achieve it and what prevents people from doing so.

Time

All the research shows that there are two main reasons why people don't get involved. First, they don't have enough time. People in the UK have some of the longest working hours in Europe. The easiest way to get more people volunteering would be to reduce them. Another would be to force employers (including those in the private sector) to let all employees do the same as David Cameron is proposing for his Cabinet - to spend at least one day a year volunteering.

Impact

Second, people think getting involved won't make a difference. Sadly, all too often they are right. Governments frequently conduct "consultations" when their mind is clearly already made up. People see the rich and powerful get away with things that ordinary people cannot. David Cameron referred to tackling those "ripping off the system and getting away with it". But what about the bankers? They were responsible for creating the financial crisis yet they have got away with it - and paid themselves more bonuses whilst the rest of us suffer deep cuts to public services !

Real involvement

But Cameron went further. He also pledged that: “For the first time, we can give everyone the information they need to make choices about the services they use”. But publishing a list of all expenditure over £500 is wholly inadequate. Most professionals would struggle to make any sense of it, let alone citizens.
Local councils and their partners need to start a long-term “budget literacy” campaign to enable people to understand the range, complexity and cost of the services they provide. They need to start by undertaking a meaningful consultation on their budgets for 2012/13. Time was short for really involving people in budget choices for 2011/12, but there is no excuse for not starting it NOW for next year.

Failure of coalition government?

Cameron concluded his speech by announcing that: “If people don’t feel that they have control over the public services they use, we will have failed as a government” and “if people don’t feel that they have a real say in how their community is run, we will have failed as a government”.

To prevent that happening, the coalition and the Conservative leadership of the LGA would need to strongly encourage local authorities to go down the route of involving citizens at every stage in the design, commissioning, delivery and evaluation of local services. There is little evidence they are doing so. Indeed, they are even proposing to scrap the duty to inform, consult & involve - hardly sending the right message about involving people in the Big Society !

David Cameron may come to regret those words about how his government should be judged.