Comments on: Is the ‘Community Empowerment’ plan any good? http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/11/17/is-the-community-empowerment-plan-any-good/ Left-wing news, opinion and activism Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:11:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Liberal Conspiracy http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/11/17/is-the-community-empowerment-plan-any-good/#comment-77481 Liberal Conspiracy Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:41:19 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/?p=1635#comment-77481 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">New blog post: Is the 'Community Empowerment' plan any good? http://tinyurl.com/c9ldr2</span> <div class="topsy_trackback_links">[<a href="http://twitter.com/libcon/status/1190113743">Original tweet</a>]</div></span> New blog post: Is the ‘Community Empowerment’ plan any good? http://tinyurl.com/c9ldr2

[Original tweet]

]]> By: Paul http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/11/17/is-the-community-empowerment-plan-any-good/#comment-24596 Paul Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:50:12 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/?p=1635#comment-24596 'As a political term,community - like freedom, equality and democracy - tends to mean what politicians want it to mean. 'The community' is invoked like a muse, to provide political cover, to imply democratic legitimacy, and to sweeten the pill....For socialists, the lack of a clear meaning for the term community is more than semantic. The confusion creates a barrier to devising policies which are in line with our values.' Very nicely put, but you might be suprised by whom. ......big drum roll........ Yes,it's Hazel Blears (2003) Communities in Control: Public services and local socialism (London; Fabian Society). It's a real shame this clear sense that appeals to 'community' might be actually act as cover for continuing structural inequalities has got lost in the five years between the booklet and now. There are lots of people out there, however, who are seeking to remedy that, including Andy Gregg , Chief Executive of London Advice Services Alliance at his personal blog devoted to the manipulation of the notion of community at http://communityconfusions.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-06-26T08%3A52%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7 I for one would support any blogger-based feedback into the consultation which carries this kind of critique. ‘As a political term,community – like freedom, equality and democracy – tends to mean what politicians want it to mean. ‘The community’ is invoked like a muse, to provide political cover, to imply democratic legitimacy, and to sweeten the pill….For socialists, the lack of a clear meaning for the term community is more than semantic. The confusion creates a barrier to devising policies which are in line with our values.’

Very nicely put, but you might be suprised by whom. ……big drum roll……..

Yes,it’s Hazel Blears (2003) Communities in Control: Public services and local socialism (London; Fabian Society).

It’s a real shame this clear sense that appeals to ‘community’ might be actually act as cover for continuing structural inequalities has got lost in the five years between the booklet and now.

There are lots of people out there, however, who are seeking to remedy that, including Andy Gregg , Chief Executive of London Advice Services Alliance at his personal blog devoted to the manipulation of the notion of community at http://communityconfusions.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-06-26T08%3A52%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7

I for one would support any blogger-based feedback into the consultation which carries this kind of critique.

]]> By: Anthony Zacharzewski http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/11/17/is-the-community-empowerment-plan-any-good/#comment-24541 Anthony Zacharzewski Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:42:50 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/?p=1635#comment-24541 Could you expand on why you disagree with directly elected mayors? They're obviously controversial, particularly among serving councillors, but I'd be interested in why you don't think they can help to promote a political culture at grassroots level. Could you expand on why you disagree with directly elected mayors? They’re obviously controversial, particularly among serving councillors, but I’d be interested in why you don’t think they can help to promote a political culture at grassroots level.

]]> By: Andrew Adams http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/11/17/is-the-community-empowerment-plan-any-good/#comment-24480 Andrew Adams Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:38:50 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/?p=1635#comment-24480 When we're talking about the accountability of local institutions, whether councils, PCTs or others, then I guess the "community" is the group of people who are served, or entitiled to be served, by those institutions. When we’re talking about the accountability of local institutions, whether councils, PCTs or others, then I guess the “community” is the group of people who are served, or entitiled to be served, by those institutions.

]]> By: tim f http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/11/17/is-the-community-empowerment-plan-any-good/#comment-24476 tim f Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:03:24 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/?p=1635#comment-24476 The last 3 paragraphs are key here, I think, and well done for donpaskini for highlighting that in an arena full of the types of people who are already relatively empowered. Far more powerful than this consumer rights approach would be guaranteed funding for community organiser-types in deprived areas together with facilities and resources to organise out of and with. Perhaps building on structures which already exist like block reps, etc (or perhaps not). To a certain extent the government has started to do this kind of thing with schemes like the Youth Opportunity Fund, etc - but in a tentative and unambitious way. The last 3 paragraphs are key here, I think, and well done for donpaskini for highlighting that in an arena full of the types of people who are already relatively empowered. Far more powerful than this consumer rights approach would be guaranteed funding for community organiser-types in deprived areas together with facilities and resources to organise out of and with. Perhaps building on structures which already exist like block reps, etc (or perhaps not). To a certain extent the government has started to do this kind of thing with schemes like the Youth Opportunity Fund, etc – but in a tentative and unambitious way.

]]> By: David Keen http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/11/17/is-the-community-empowerment-plan-any-good/#comment-24473 David Keen Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:36:36 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/?p=1635#comment-24473 I noticed the lack of a definition of 'community' too. Maybe David Cameron was onto something in his conference speech when he observed that in Labour's view there is just the government, and individuals, and no social institutions in between. I noticed the lack of a definition of ‘community’ too. Maybe David Cameron was onto something in his conference speech when he observed that in Labour’s view there is just the government, and individuals, and no social institutions in between.

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