Building a good society – Labour’s role

By Sadiq Khan MP

Now is an important time for a much wider debate of how we should reach the ‘Good Society’. The global economic crisis has questioned some of the orthodoxies that shaped our society and economy. We have a new government embarking on a programme of cuts to the public service unlike anything we’ve witnessed before and at the same time we are reassessing some of the key relationships and social contracts that link us together – between the state and the citizen, the markets and the public sector, and between each other, as individuals and members of a community, with responsibilities to one another.

At tonight’s annual Tawney Dialogue, hosted by the Christian Socialist Movement, the concept of the good society, how it shapes our lives and the way we live them will be under discussion.

My understanding of a ‘good society’ and how it is to be realised personally, politically and socially is reflected in my religion and my interpretation of it. But I am clear that an understanding of what’s good and bad, how to treat each other and the values that lead to a good society are not dependent on religious belief. Political parties, much like organised faiths, have deep held values which bind and steer their members. As a member of the Labour Party I am guided by a will to work towards greater social justice at home and overseas, to promote and encourage a stronger and more cohesive community and a fair and more equal society. I feel that these elements provide a foundation for a good society and so Labour has an important role to play – as the champions of, and a delivery arm for, all those who strive to realise these values, be they party members or not.

Millions work for the common good – from doctors and teachers to carers and youth workers, civil servants and police officers. I believe that it falls on the shoulders of elected representatives to ensure that those who chose these careers do so with the dignity that their contribution deserves.

Their work should pay a wage they can live on, and that they should be able to balance it with a fulfilling family life. That is why I am proud that (amongst many things) the last Labour Government introduced a National Minimum Wage, improved maternity and paternity leave, flexible working time and strengthened employment rights.

We understood the important role the state plays in supporting families and helping to create an environment in which people have both the time and resources to contribute to their communities and broader society outside working hours. I think this is a central part of a Good Society – one in which the public sector attracts those dedicated to improving the lives of others, and repays them with the respect and reward they deserve.

We should look at how we could do more in this regard – at a Living Wage so people in employment don’t have to claim benefits just to get by – and we must oppose attempts by this government to undo the strides we made to help people balance their work and family lives. Being a public servant should be held up as a great and patriotic decision. The current government must be challenged when it lambasts public servants as being problematic bureaucracy and ‘enemies of enterprise’ or seeks to undermine them with unfair cuts. When civil society, community organisations and concerned individuals lawfully and peacefully mobilise to protect livelihoods and lifestyles they feel are under threat, Labour must stand with them.

But today’s good society, and today’s Labour Party, must embrace diversity, new forms of organising – online and outside traditional community establishments – and appeal to those things that transcend our cultural and social difference – so a good society doesn’t hark back to the past, but is an aspiration for the future, which is not limited to our country’s borders. We live increasingly in a global society and we should strive to live in a global good society. This not only means cooperating on international issues like climate change and living up to our responsibility to protect citizens beyond our borders, as in Libya.

Everyday people demonstrate the kind of humanity and compassion that we need for the good society to operate when they donate to charities that help those in the most abject poverty around the world. But at the state level, the investment we make in international development is not just about flexing soft power and securing our interests abroad – it is about the kind of society and the kind of country we want to be. Like millions of Britons, I was very proud to be a part of the Make Poverty History movement led by faith groups across the country and spearheaded at an international level by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, whose commitment to international development was not only one of Labour’s great achievements, has meant we are a part of a broader community of people working together for a common end.

Labour is at its strongest when it is a membership driven organisation working with faith groups, NGOs, community groups, unions and individuals on the bread and butter social justice issues that cut across religions and cultures to deliver a good society. Dignity in work, family and community, equality and fairness – in income and opportunity – are the cornerstones of a good society, and the cornerstones of the Labour movement.

We have a great opportunity to engage in the debate about what makes a good society and provide an alternative to the ‘sink or swim’ ethos of Cameron’s Big Society. I am looking forward to tonight’s dialogue and a continued discussion on how we can reach out to people across the country who share our vision of a good society. When I meet ordinary people doing extraordinary things for their communities, I feel optimistic that we are edging closer to achieving it.

The Christian Socialist Movement will hold their Annual Tawney Dialogue this evening at 6.45pm, in the Chapel of Methodist Central Hall, Storey’s Gate (just off Parliament Square), London, SW1H 9NH.