I fear Britain has created a dependency culture where we expect someone else to solve every problem, whether it is graffiti, litter, anti-social behaviour or social care. Liam Byrne reminded us in his famous note that "there's no money left". We need to persuade people to take more responsibility for themselves, their neighbourhoods and their neighbours. It is not just a financial issue; government, whether national or local, simply cannot micro-manage communities. Individuals within in communities can provide leadership and example and can help people to help themselves.
How are we to help people realise this concept of a big society? The Cabinet Office wants to recruit 5,000 community organisers and to pay 500 of them £20,000 each to grow the big society. They need not bother. There are more than 20,000 councillors in England. Many of them have the skills and, most important, all of them have the mandate to lead their communities. They also have a driving motivation.
Ipsos Mori research states that almost 40% of electors can name their MP but, when asked for their local councillor's name, only 6% get it right. How can councillors raise their profiles? I suggest three ways.
A new approach
Firstly, councillors are traditionally seen as Mr or Mrs 'Fixit', advising on a planning application, helping parents to secure a preferred school place for their child, getting a pothole fixed or sorting out a neighbour dispute. Secondly, those councillors with good recognition factors will be good communicators. In times past they would have marshalled an army of pavement plodders to deliver a regular councillor's newsletter round their patch. Increasingly – and as fewer are willing to act as pavement plodders – councillors are turning to social media, using Twitter, Facebook or blogs to keep in touch with their constituents. Social networking will become even more important and councils must step in to help councillors who are not yet e-literate.
The third role, newer for some, is as a social entrepreneur. Being a social entrepreneur is all about transformational leadership, in addition to an advocacy and campaigning role, it is one that enables communities to become more self-sufficient. Fundamentally, this is a role that builds capacity and skills so that communities can do things for themselves. It encourages the less articulate to have their say, it brings together diverse groups and views to support a common cause.
Acting as a social entrepreneur will be instinctive to many councillors and an opportunity they will be willing to grasp. Yet to do this successfully will not be without its political risks. As they move towards leading in this way they will demonstrate different behaviours and skills, and their approaches will include new ways of gathering and using information and managing political relationships across parties and with officers. They will find themselves taking individuals in directions they may not wish to travel and to work out how to improve their community without looking to "someone up there" to intervene with funding and bureaucracy. Many councillors have been doing this for years; some need to develop their skills.
The concept was formulated in January 1961 in John F Kennedy's inaugural speech when he said, "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country". Now is the time to grow our big society in this country and to live out JFK's famous words.
Councillor Keith R Mitchell CBE is leader of Oxfordshire county council.
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