Turning Tides and Lasting Legacies

It's no co-incidence that the RightSpace event is taking place in a time of political uncertainty and change. Building on strong foundations and exploring the future are key to the conversation we want to have. 

Turning tide

The UK is witnessing a profound period of policy and political change, a process that began before the May national elections, 2010. The period 1979 to 1997 saw deep cuts in local authority spending, massive rise in youth unemployment, child poverty, homelessness, incarceration and health inequalities. In contrast, 1997 to 2010 saw significant and sustained national policy to improve health and education and reduce poverty and inequality. Two famous pillars of Tony Blair’s early promises were that “Within 10 to 20 years, no one should lose out because of where they live” and to “End child poverty within a generation,” halving it by 2010. 

Rise of rhetoric

From 1997 to 2010, much policy and guidance advocated the participation of children and young people in decision making that affects them. The first wave was orchestrated through the cross governmental Children and Young People Unit, which promoted and, for a brief while, coordinated the Listening to Learn programmes requiring participation action plans from 11 national government departments (DfES, 2001). The second wave was aimed at building in participation into local delivery partnerships to ensure accountability for improved outcomes for children and young people in England as set out in Every Child Matters: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and economic wellbeing.  

Stubborn realities

The economic crisis of late 2007 was not the start of, but only accentuated, the downturn that had begun two years earlier measures of wellbeing, especially rates of child poverty. The life expectancy gap between rich and poor at birth still remains 15 years. Looking at facts and figures as well as children and young people’s lived experience, Britain ranked last out of 21 developed nations and 17 out of 21 European nations. It ranked third behind United States and Portugal for levels of inequality and poor social outcomes (The Spirit Level, Williamson and Pinckett, 2009).   

Lasting legacy

But is it a case that the Labour legacy will be washed away without trace, or are there achievements which have been beached during the high tides of policy initiatives which will remain safe for the foreseeable future against the onset of stormier times? Have children and young people’s human rights advanced? What has changed locally through more things to do, better education, health, transport? How do local services listen and respond better?