The Government’s flagship levelling up ambition will fail unless Ministers take concerted action to invest in and empower fraying communities after the pandemic according to a report out this morning
The report , Policies of Belonging by the Centre Right think tank Onward is a response to growing evidence that community is in long term decline in Britain.
The report is supported by a cross-party coalition of MPs and leading civic organisations. The report calls for ministers to hand power and capital back to communities after the pandemic to repair Britain’s fraying social fabric.
In 2019, polling for Onward found that 71% of people agree that “community has declined in my lifetime” and in September 2020 the thinktank warned that there has been a steady fall in the last decade in levels of volunteering, local group membership, church attendance, community activities, family trips, philanthropy and social trust. While the pandemic led initially to an outpouring of public spiritedness, this benefited high trust neighbourhoods much more than others.
To rekindle a sense of belonging in all Britain’s communities after lockdown finally ends, Onward sets out a series of policies to give power to individuals and communities to give back locally, and greater resources to ensure that the most fraying communities have strong reciprocal networks and institutions
Among its recommendations are proposals to give every local area the “right to self government” through a parish or town council.
At present, only 25% of England is represented by a parish or town council, compared to 70% of Wales and 100% of Scotland, and many recent attempts to create them have been thwarted by boroughs or districts. In next year’s Devolution White Paper, Ministers should pave the way for the widespread introduction of town and parish councils, while also giving town and parish councils the right to assume ownership of, and responsibility for, green spaces, community sports facilities, community centres and local high street maintenance in their area.
They also recommend the introduction of a “family tax allowance” to allow partners to transfer their £12,500 tax allowance to their working spouse. This would replace the marriage tax allowance and extend it from the current £1,250 to the full £12,500 tax -free amount
Will Tanner, Director of Onward, said:
“Everyone focuses on the impact of lockdown on the economy but the truth is that the pandemic has taken a terrible toll on the social fabric of our lives, compounding the long-term decline of community over recent decades.
“As we emerge – finally – from the pandemic, we need to not just revive a flatlining economy, we need to take steps to empower and recapitalise communities, to give people back a sense of belonging and rekindle the social networks and institutions upon which we all rely.”
