I read Theresa May’s article about the “shared society” – assuming it was she who wrote it, and not her … Continue reading “Theresa May’s article about the “shared society” is a virtue-signalling undergraduate essay”

‘If people are given responsibility, they behave responsibly. So if we give people more political power, I believe that will … Continue reading “Why individual liberty could be the new election battleground”

Several authors of this blog have welcomed the idea of the ‘Big Society’, as long as it stands for an … Continue reading “The Big Society and big government must not be mixed up”

Today, Nick Clegg decided to declare war on nepotism. He wants to ‘stop a lot of the informal advantages which are … Continue reading “‘Who you know’ and ‘what you know’ – what does Nick Clegg know?”

During the Big Society discussions, the sight of some Conservatives running scared from the idea that the best way of … Continue reading “The family is a crucial – and oft-forgotten – element of the Big Society”

The government’s catchphrase ‘Big Society’ has often been criticised for its vagueness. Critics claim that the phrase means everything and … Continue reading “Big government and the ‘Big Society’ are not partners – they are competitors”

The Government reportedly feels that its Big Society programme has stalled. It is not surprising. The coalition’s idea of the … Continue reading “The Big Society will only come into being when the Government stops trying to create it and instead unleashes a tide of philanthropy”

Sombre sound bites about the scale of the deficit, the need for deep cuts and the opportunity to use this … Continue reading “The coalition’s first 100 days: is Britain freer?”

It may seem like a fox writing a publication on geese-keeping. And yet, the New Economics Foundation (NEF) has joined … Continue reading “How the New Economics Foundation would build the Big Society”