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Topic: Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?
Posted by: Sam Hearn
Date/Time: 03/06/15 11:15:00

There is a great deal of intellectual and actual substance behind both THE BIG SOCIETY and NORTHERN POWERHOUSE.

May I politely suggest that those who believe that these are meaningless sound bites are either looking in the wrong place or are blinded by cynicism. However they are ultimately both just 'labels' that can be manipulated for good or ill.

The phrase HARDWORKING FAMILIES is however a much more slippery customer. It is particularly dangerous when it is used to either explicitly or implicitly launch attacks on those on benefits who do not work for one reason or another (there are many legitimate reasons).

The HF phrase is used to deliver truck loads of political rhetoric that all needs to be unpackaged very carefully.

In an ideal world members of HARDWORKING FAMILIES should all lead happy and fulfilling lives in good quality housing with access to excellent schools and world class health care. The real world can often be very different.

How politicians and the electorate respond to the gap between the reality of people's lives and their aspirations is the deep dynamic that drives our political system.

Do we really wish our elderly friends and relatives to be treated with respect and our children to have the opportunity to  lead materially better lives than our own - or at least to achieve their full potential?  

I would suggest that the word FAIR also needs to be treated with great care when it issues from politicians mouths. It is has come to mean anything that the speaker believes would be highly desirable or beneficial - so the use of this word often supports weirdly circular arguments.


   


Entire Thread
TopicDate PostedPosted By
What happened to Dave's Big Society?30/05/15 20:03:00 Anne England
   Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?30/05/15 20:33:00 Richard Greenhough
      Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?31/05/15 10:51:00 Kimberley Whittaker
         Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?31/05/15 11:43:00 Will Watson
            Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?31/05/15 12:25:00 Philippa Bond
         Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?31/05/15 13:42:00 Anne England
            Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?31/05/15 17:10:00 Philippa Bond
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?04/06/15 13:52:00 Steve Taylor
            Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?31/05/15 18:44:00 Richard Greenhough
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?31/05/15 18:49:00 Claire Moran
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?31/05/15 22:37:00 Anne England
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?02/06/15 22:56:00 Philippa Bond
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?02/06/15 23:21:00 William Prentice
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?03/06/15 02:24:00 Phil Kay
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?04/06/15 14:27:00 Steve Taylor
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?04/06/15 16:08:00 Anne England
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?04/06/15 17:28:00 David Roberts
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?04/06/15 18:33:00 Steve Taylor
   Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?03/06/15 01:00:00 Gerry Tan
      Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?03/06/15 09:52:00 Philippa Bond
      Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?03/06/15 10:14:00 John Whitworth
         Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?03/06/15 11:15:00 Sam Hearn
            Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?04/06/15 17:38:00 Cllr Sam Hearn
               Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?04/06/15 18:48:00 Steve Taylor
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?05/06/15 17:09:00 Cllr Sam Hearn
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?06/06/15 09:25:00 Philippa Bond
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What happened to Dave's Big Society?15/06/15 16:56:00 Philippa Bond

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