ADA in London April 2007

The London Marathon made 36000 or so people run 26 miles in 26 degrees last Sunday. At the same day the French-English in London hit a record in voting. All the French baguettes were sold out around the French school in South Kensington and London´s parks were full of people either having French election picnics or cheering on the Marathon runners. The taxi drivers were mostly mad and the tube was doing good.

Two sides of a Sunday.

David Cameron, the new leader of the Conservative party in England, has called for a revolution in personal responsibility and promised that a Conservative government would not treat people like children!

When he talked at the Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts (RSA) in London during the week he said; ”I want people to understand that the next Conservative government is not going to TREAT its citizens like children. It´s not going to do everything for them, promise to solve every problem, respond to every incident, accident or report with a new initiative, regulation or law.”

He blamed an increasingly centralized social policy, the responsibility of Margaret Thatcher as well as Tony Blair for creating an irresponsible society. Cameron said it was up to government to create a framework of incentives for people to act in a more socially minded way. That would prove more effective regulations and laws.

The RSA is undertaking a series of initiatives to explore how to empower citizens to close the social aspiration gap (between the society we want and the society we are yet able to create). David Cameron made his contribution to the debate this week. In his speech, entitled; “There is such a thing as society: encouraging pro-social behaviour”, David Cameron was asked to set out further thinking on the Conservative agenda for social responsibility on issues around giving people greater power.

Cameron is to be seen in many different places in England at the moment. Spreading the words about the new Conservative party before the election in June 2008 or 2009 (depending on when Labour thinks it’s ready for a new election).

Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who is tipped to take over when Tony Blair’s retires this summer will soon have to make himself more visible as well, if he is to avoid always being hidden in the shadow of Blair.

However, both Brown and Cameron seem to be in the hot marathon of their own to find the golden middle way. Being right when you are left and being left when you are right. Confusing, boring and a bit of a trend in politics these days it seems (look at the Swedish election 2007).

Two sides, no side.

Read more about RSA at www.rsa.org.uk

David Cameron’s speech at RSA.