Big Society Goes Bang.

Model of the ‘Big Society’.

Plans to devolve a large chunk of public services to ‘voluntary groups’  and charities are in a  shambles. There is whingeing even from its supporters. Efforts to replace representative democracy with “radical decentralisation”  (giving power to local unaccountable ‘voluntary’ groups  and private business ) have suffered the effects of cuts (more Here , Here and Here).

Unions and voluntary groups have joined forces to campaign against the Government’s spending cuts, arguing that they make a “mockery” of the Government’s Big Society.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber accused ministers of driving through “savage” cuts which he said will impact hardest on the poorest, most vulnerable communities.

The union organisation said the voluntary sector was set to lose around £4.5 billion because of the Government’s austerity measures.

Mr Barber said: “This unnecessary and economically damaging austerity will make Britain a meaner, nastier, more unequal place to live, so we’re bringing together unions and voluntary sector organisations to defend our civil society from attack and campaign against these cuts to vital support services.

“The TUC is keen to build the widest possible coalition against the cuts, involving unions, charities, community groups and faith organisations.”

More Here.

There is a brilliant dissection of the Big Society concept by Posterous here.

Point 5 is “It enshrines a Victorian model of philanthropy which will enable those with time and money to decide which causes are ‘deserving’.”

I question, then, Brother Barber’s unqualified support for the role of charities and voluntary groups. They have an important place in civil society, but they are no replacement for public services.

We should look at the roots of the problem.

In the Ragged Trousered Philanthropists (1914) Robert Tressell painted a picture of early Edwardian town, Mugsville (Hastings). An important theme in this socialist classic is unemployment. This is met, Tressell lightly satirised, by the town’s worthies setting up an “Organised Benevolence Society”. It is headed by Sir Graball D’Enclsoed Land, Lady Slum rents, and the Rev. Mr Bosher. All help for the out-of-work is given over the ‘Big society’. Without rights the unemployed are obliged to seek charity.

Oscar Wilde  in The Soul of Man Under Socialism (1891) described what this help meant for the poor.

It could be seen as a,

“ridiculously inadequate mode of partial restitution, or a sentimental dole, usually accompanied by some impertinent attempt on the part of the sentimentalist to tyrannise over their private lives.”

Many familiar with modern Charities would be the  first to say that this attitude no longer exists. They would be wrong. Many religiously based charities have very strong ideas about influencing the morality and behaviour of the poor.

They are resented as such. 

In this respect it is wrong that charitable institutions should replace equal public provision with services that are funded indirectly by the state and delivered by organisations which are not under democratic control.

Wilde further noted that,

“It is immoral to use private property in order to alleviate the horrible evils that result from the institution of private property. It is both immoral and unfair.”

To put it simply, the people who were the agents of the economic crisis are allowed to shove responsibility for dealing with its results – unemployment and poverty – wish to divest state responsibility for dealing with its effects. Charitable and voluntary bodies are, if often useful, unable to deal with the enormous task: this needs universal public provision carried out by publicly accountable  services.

The state’s attempt to use the unemployed to step in (unpaid) where public spending cuts have created a gap is described on the Ipswich Unemployed Action Blog.

The Big Society is an attempt to bring back the Universal Benevolence Society, run by Sir Graball d’Bankbonus, Lady Jerrybuilt Property, and Rev. Mr Nosyparker.