Richard Robinson2013-05-21T07:50:01-04:00Richard Robinsonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=richard-robinsonCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Richard RobinsonGood old fashioned elbow grease.Feedback From First Citizens Focus Group in Broxtowe, Nottinghamtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.13061382012-02-28T07:19:07-05:002012-04-29T05:12:01-04:00Richard Robinsonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-robinson/
I've written about this before:
Essentially I wanted to help create a forum whereby members of the public who are predominantly members of no political party, could get together and have their say on "big issues" facing them, the local communities and our country.
Well, we met in the Nelson & Railway Inn in Kimberley where the beer is second to none. As a good councillor very early on in the week, and having to drive later, it was strictly fizzy water for me though.
We had an encouraging turn out at the meeting plus we were joined by two politics students from Nottingham Trent University.
The topic chosen was that of police commissioners and their pending elections in Nottinghamshire on November 15 this year.
Whilst somehow we managed in the first 10 minutes to bring into the conversation the Stockholm Syndrome (don't ask me now how this was relevant), as people became more confident (most had not met before), the conversation really started to flow. What I've done below is to bullet point the salient points that people made as follows:
1.how really would elected police commissioners directly feed into our communities in Nottinghamshire?
2.should ex-MPs really being standing as candidates - how can they be impartial?
3.surely under this new system one person would have ultimate power - is this right?
4.As young people often feel disengaged from politics, how can 1 elected police commissioner in Nottinghamshire encourage wider participation?
5.Good work that has been done in particular communities - like Awsworth & Cossall where only 4-5 years ago there were major problems with anti social behaviour - the local police have done a brilliant job in building good relationships with local communities. The advent of one elected police commissioner possibly with different local neighbourhood policing focus could undermine all of this.
6.The whole idea of an elected police commissioner is based on a flawed concept, imported from America where there is little if any proof of any long-term benign results for local communities.
7.Particularly if the elected police commissioner is an ex MP they would follow a 'party line' as opposed to what's best for that particular county.
What do do?
Instead of having elected police commissioners we should instead:
•encourage greater connectivity between local schools, police local communities
•have a much clearer and stronger focus on citizenship in schools - this would include work on respect, fostering closer relations between youngsters and police, attack on poverty, emphasis on restorative justice etc.
•encourage youngsters to participate in community activities - such as Party on the Park in Awsworth
•Reverse the austerity measures being pursued by the Coalition, particularly with regards to early intervention, cutting back of youth centres and provision.
•Sure Start, mentors and extra investment in education and early years is of paramount importance
At our next session (date to be arranged - either March or April) - we will be discussing practical steps as to how political parties and local communities can really help build "respect". We'll also look at inviting a guest speaker to address us on this issue to provoke further debate and discussion!
Watch this space for more details.
]]>NHS, Early Intervention & Social Impact Bondstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.12935532012-02-22T10:37:12-05:002012-04-23T05:12:01-04:00Richard Robinsonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-robinson/
It is easy in these circumstances to enter into a mind-set of opposition to all Coalition policies, regardless of their merits. While this may appear tempting, particularly in light of some of the disastrous decisions being made, it would be ill-advised.
Does this mean I am in any remote way an apologist or have a modicum of sympathy for Her Majesty's government? Unequivocally not. However as Rafael Behr rightly reminded us last week; both David Cameron and Ed Miliband have yet to clearly define a benign remedy for the nation's ills.
Canvassing voter's opinions on the doorstep is proving informative with four particular aspects that stand out. First I am not finding an endemic love of the Tories, second there is a widespread mirth and hilarity should the words "Clegg" or "Lib Dems" be brought into the conversation.
Unsurprisingly (and thirdly) voters are wanting Labour to offer viable and credible specific alternatives, but what fourthly is increasingly being said in the doorstep is "stop squabbling and sort this mess out, stop blaming each other, and where a Coalition policy is ok, don't simply oppose".
One coalition policy that I would argue merits deeper consideration is that of social impact bonds. The idea takes the very best aspects of the private sector, with social enterprises providing advance funding to support schemes created and administered by organisations such as prisons and local councils.
In Merseyside, Triodos Bank, Greater Merseyside Connexions Partnership (GMCP) and Business in the Community (BITC) are working together to help young people who are facing social disadvantage. While ventures such as this may end up costing the taxpayer more money if they prove successful, they provide an excellent barometer of success while helping eliminate waste.
But this is about more than saving money and improving efficiency. Early intervention works. The Coalition is stealing our clothes here. We know this from Labour's achievements on Sure Start, investment in nursery provision, Child Trust Funds and other progressive measures the Coalition are busy dismantling. Recipients of early intervention enjoy not only better opportunities, but more of them. It prevents crime, raises education standards and eases pressure on public services that would have had to attempt to deal with the issues that may have befallen those who are most in need.
Not only do social impact bonds help those most in need, they also fit comfortably into Labour's attempt to reclaim the localism agenda. And it is in this manner that the party can differentiate itself over the policy. Currently, it is local organisations, such as social enterprises and philanthropists that provide the funding. But what if we were to be brave, and encourage local business to carry some of the burden. The policy could be tweaked so that targets were more short term and rewarded with tax breaks. Businesses would be allowed to use the schemes as ways of engaging with the local community (and therefore their customers), creating an advertising space that was potentially profitable even before a scheme was a success.
This step would have the advantage of easing the burden on the relatively narrow, and already heavily called upon, sector of social enterprise. It would also lower the schemes' costs, with tax breaks requiring less administrative duties than a repayment through other means.
This idea, of reward for positive social behaviour, can already be seen in carbon trading and in proposals for tax breaks for employers who may a living wage. While the relative merits of these policies are widely debated, offering financial incentive for positive social conduct is a proven tool.
The NHS Bill struggles on, and we will continue to fight it with every last sinew. But not everything this government will do will be as toxic, with the party or the people. We must learn to compartmentalise our vitriol and encourage those policies we know may do some good, improving them, and claiming the credit along the way. It may be the only way we salvage our good work previously in government. Then indeed we start to outline our vision of a Good Society, but that's a discussion for another time.
]]>Dawn of a New way of Doing Politics? Citizens Focus Group - Power to the Peopletag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.12904932012-02-21T08:56:47-05:002012-04-22T05:12:01-04:00Richard Robinsonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-robinson/
So the idea was birthed - in Greece of all places - where its debt crisis of course is causing political and economic turmoil on a scale unimaginable several years ago, with news today that a bailout worth £110bn being loaned, and having around £107bn of its debt written off.
From Greece to back to Broxtowe, from Broxtowe and the East Midlands to parliament and from parliament back to the people
So for voters back home in Broxtowe and the East Midlands, what do they really think on some of the Big Questions facing us in society today like:
•what's wrong with politics and society in Britain?
•what would a better Britain look like in 2015?
•how can we tackle in the long-term such wicked issues of growing obesity and alcoholism?
•is there any alternative to mass unemployment?
•will a Directly Elected Mayor in the city of Nottingham do anything for communities throughout the rest of the County?
•Should workfare be compulsory to try to reduce youth unemployment?
•Should certain health care be rationed?
•Is Scottish independence good for the whole of the UK?
•Is Christianity a spent force amongst the multi ethnic make up of Britain?
•If you don't vote currently, what would urge you to do so?
These topics and hundreds of others of course can be debated via e-mail, blogs, get a cursory hearing on Question Time and on university campuses.
But what about the ordinary citizen, voter, not at university, not particularly engaged with politics - what about their views, how do get them re-connected?
This week sees the first meeting of my Citizens Focus Group - where a group of voters (members of no political party) have volunteered to come together to discuss their views on what's wrong, and what we can possibly do to build a better Britain.
It might be raw, maybe controversial at times, but what I want to do is tease out some of the best ideas - directly from the voter, encourage them to engage and get involved. Most of all though - to put some people power back into politics.