Saturday 7 January 2023

Should Neighbourhood Democracy Be Introduced? – Part. 2. Crosland, Kinnock and Labour 1972-88

The idea of increasing democracy and the potential role of neighbourhood councils was discussed by Anthony Crosland in his Fabian Tract in January 1972 A social democratic Britain. He sets  set out four Labour’s objectives. (p.5)

(1)     ‘(A)n exceptionally high priority, when considering the claims on our resources, for the relief of poverty, distress and social squalor – Labour’s traditional “social welfare” goal.’

(2)     ‘(A) more equal distribution of wealth, not because redistribution today will make all the workers rich, but to help create a more just and humane society,’

(3)     ‘(A) wider ideal for social equality, involving not only educational reform but generally an improvement in our social capital such that the less well off have access to housing, health and education of a standard comparable, at least in the basic decencies, to that which the better off can buy for themselves out of their private means.’

(4)     ‘(S)trict social control over the environment – to enable us to cope with the exploding problems of urban life, to protect the countryside from the threat posed by more industry, more people and more cars, and to diminish the  growing divergence between private and social cost in such fields as noise, fumes, river pollution and the rest.’ (p.1)

He argues that growth will help achieve these objectives and participation in decision making is an important part of this.

Participation

Participation ‘should mean that the general public participates directly in decision making, and not just indirectly through its elected representatives.’ However ‘in a society as large and complex as ours, participation’ through mass meeting or the strictly local forum ‘can occur only on a limited scale’ (p.12)

He differentiates between single issue campaigns like CPAG and Shelter and that voluntary group activities ‘are on balance an enormous force for good.’ ‘They provide a badly needed element of countervailing power in our society.’ However, ‘these activities are not necessarily socialist in either content of intention’ (p.13)

He urges Labour to ‘seek ways of involving the majority in what is so far largely a minority movement; and I revert here to the concept of the neighbourhood or community council… decisions that most affect people’s lives are decisions about their locality … It is at this local level that people often feel most helpless in the face of authority. They do not want a continuous process of active participation. But they do want to be consulted about, and to influence, these decisions which profoundly affect their daily lives.’

Crosland had included in the White Paper on Local Government Reform published earlier in the year ‘the idea of smaller local or neighbourhood councils – urban parish councils.’ He refers to the work of Michael Young and the Association of Neighbourhood Councils. He concludes that ‘the neighbourhood council opens up a way forward which we should boldly take even in advance of legislation.’(p. 14)

Neil Kinnock & The Future of Socialism

Moving on another 13 years in his Fabian pamphlet The Future of Socialism. (January 1985) Neil Kinnock view flows from a realisation that Labour strategy and tactics need to adjust its values to win the support of ‘the modern working classes whose upward social mobility, increased expectations and extended horizons are largely the result of opportunities afforded them by our movement in the past. (p.2)

‘British democratic socialism is a tapestry and the thread that runs through the weave is above all a deep concern with fellowship and fraternity; with community and participation.’ (p. 3)

‘Collective provision has not been the enemy of individual freedom, it has been the agent of individual emancipation and for that reason it will occupy a central position in the forging of socialism.’ (p. 5)

Kinnock admits that past Labour ‘strategies have been incomplete, ill-thought out, and – usually – externally imposed by people who will not have to live with the consequences.’ (p.8)

His final paragraph includes tapping into ‘those civic virtues which are in effect, socialism in action-mutual care and mutual aid.’(p.12)

Should Neighbourhood Democracy Be Introduced? – Part. 3. Labour Social Justice, Efficiency & Citizenship follows.


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