Tory Thinking
2007-09-06 09:03:00.0
AUTHOR: Judy Turner
Several months ago a social policy group calling itself “Break through Britain” made a series of recommendations to the British Conservative Party about how to end the costs of social breakdown.
Chaired by the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith M.P. the group advocates for a new approach to welfare in the 21st century. Their report called on the government to start reinforcing and strengthening, not the welfare state but the welfare society, which they defined as that which delivers welfare … beyond the State.
http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/default.asp?pageRef=182
What is fascinating is that this group is calling the British Tories to move away from seeing social breakdown simplisticallty as just the consequence of poor personal decisions, while continuing to reject the notion that the elimination of poverty is the sole responsibility of government.
This group of thinking conservatives is suggesting the more centrist view that people must take responsibility for their own choices but that government has the responsibility to help people make the right choices.
How do we help parents spend more time with their kids? How do we help children start school ready for formal learning? How do we support the charitable and community sector to build safe and connected neighbourhoods?
These are the sorts of questions government policy should be considering!