Despite giving my first preference to Andy Burnham in this year’s leadership campaign I still believe that Movement for Change was the single most important development in the debate for the party’s future.
This is not to say that community organising should overtake the running of our party. I have campaigned in local, devolved, UK, EU and (Welsh) leadership campaigns and believe that Movement for Change could have added momentum, volunteers and more votes to each of these. In opposition, a Movement for Change programme that is taken forward correctly could help us prove that our values are absolutely in tune with those of the British public. The community organising model has proven its worth on campaigns from the Living Wage to affordable housing which is why David Miliband was absolutely right to introduce the practice and its techniques to party members.
While I absolutely reject the Victorian notion of the Big Society, I do not believe that Labour should surrender the concept of a powerful civil society to the Coalition Government. We should dominate this debate - it speaks to the best traditions of our party. Movement for Change is born out of the idea that power is unfairly distributed in British society and uses proven techniques to help communities become more powerful. Ultimately, this model seeks to test the accountability and fairness of the Government and indeed the market on behalf of those who drive both - citizens. This is very different to shirking the responsibility of Government as Cameron is currently seeking to do.
The training offered by Movement for Change over the summer will, I hope, act as a taster for a more structured programme for members up and down the country in the coming months and years. After taking up a few days training with Citizens UK following May’s election I felt a bittersweet reaction to what I had seen. While it was great to see such well organised and ambitious action taking place, you leave asking yourself why aren’t we doing this?
I am excited that Movement for Change has kick-started community organising in our party and hope that it will become a permanent feature of our movement.
Alex Bevan
So do I, and as David Miliband said himself, "We don't get angry - we get organised!"
ReplyDeleteAs the rest of the cuts are announced tomorrow, many people up and down the country will be furious - we need to keep Movement for Change alive so people don't feel as helpless either.