All Scottish local authorities need to seize the huge opportunities presented by social enterprise - as Scotland goes to the polls for the local elections on 3 May.
We recently launched "New Ideas, New Innovations", the 2012 local government manifesto for social enterprise at the new cross-party group on social enterprise in the Scottish Parliament.
We've been meeting with the political parties and election candidates, distributing the manifesto at key local government events, speaking to council officers and leaders and asking our members to take an active role in lobbying their local agencies and council and political friends.
Many Scottish local authorities already work well with their local social enterprise businesses - but too often opportunities to do good business and make a big social impact are missed. As we take on the challenge of public service reform and preventative spending, social enterprises are the best vehicles to create more employment with those hardest to reach, to regenerate communities and to get better outcomes for everyone.
Social Enterprise Scotland has been campaigning with the local government manifesto for the past few months, with policies formulated directly from the views and experiences of our social enterprise members. As a member-led organisation we believe that the best policies are created by listening to the most people and we greatly value the expertise of Scotland's innovative social entrepreneurs.
The manifesto is concise and to the point, with seven top priorities to liberate Scotland's social enterprises and allow them the freedom to do what they do best.
Firstly, we're calling for a social enterprise strategy in every council, created in partnership with grassroots local social enterprises, something that has already happened in places such as Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Secondly, we want procurement to be simplified and council departments to prioritise community benefit clauses in all contracts, boosting the potential for local economic growth. Thirdly, we're also asking for business rates relief across the country and for councils to explore new ways to boost local social investment.
Fourthly, buildings and land should be fully utilised for community benefit, by transferring appropriate properties and land to social enterprises for free or nominal rates.
Fifthly, social enterprises need a central role in public service reform and preventative spending and it's essential that they have a stronger, direct voice in council decision making, in areas such as regeneration, economic development and housing. Sixthly, social enterprises need a real voice in all local decision making - to guarantee they can fully participate in effective community planning partnerships and other local forums. Finally, barriers to participation should be pro-actively broken down by council officials, who can also have role in promoting the social enterprise model locally.
The positive results of our lobbying is already evidenced in the political party manifestos. The SNP manifesto, Scotland's current governing party, says: "SNP councils will directly involve social enterprises in drafting a full social enterprise strategy for each council area." And "new rights for local communities, urban or rural, to buy unused public assets for community use."
The Scottish Labour Party says they will: "Support 'co-operative' councils, where local people are more involved in making decisions that affect them." Scottish Labour in Glasgow says: "Labour will provide longer term grant funding to third sector organisations in the city."
The Scottish Green Party says they will: "Back retention and improvement of swimming pools, playing fields and other sports facilities, examining social enterprise or community enterprise models where appropriate." And also: "...give councils the powers to support local firms ahead of multinationals, to regenerate run-down areas, and give incentives for councils to purchase from local suppliers and social enterprises."
The Scottish Conservative Party manifesto says they will implement a: "community right to bid, which would give community and voluntary bodies the right to express interest in taking over a particular service. The local authority would be required to respond to this challenge and unless there are reasonable grounds for refusal the council would run a procurement exercise where the services would be opened up to bids."
These are all very welcome policies, that demonstrate how social enterprise is a part of the mainstream of politics and is being discussed and debated within the public arena - and crucially that good policy will be implemented on the ground in Scotland's communities post- 3 May, whatever party is in power.
If councils adopt the policies in our manifesto they will begin to see a radical transformation in their communities - and better lives for everyone in tough times. We're looking forward to the election results - vote social enterprise!
Fraser Kelly is chief executive of Social Enterprise Scotland, an independent, Scottish, member-led organisation, built and controlled by grassroots social enterprises across the country. The full Scottish Local Government manifesto for social enterprise can be downloaded here.
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