WEBINAR - Red v. Blue Mutalism

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/9/f/8/a/event_201880842.jpegMutualism in Local Government has been gathering momentum over the last few months: and the debate is about the different ways that the case is made for mutualism as a source of innovation and value for money.

This webinar discusses the radical ideas being developed around mutalism in local government and the way different local authorities are developing models to involve citizens. These are real debates about political substance.

Its is partly a debate about red and blue mutualism but not entirely and it is refreshing to see radical ideas propounded with local government leading the way in debating serious issues of political substance.

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/9/d/b/e/event_201880382.jpegJonathan Carr-West will lead this webinar. Jonathan leads the Local Government’ Information Unit’s’s policy team. Some of Jonathan’s particular interests are in participative democracy, the evolving nature of communities and behaviour change. Before joining the LGiU, Jonathan was Deputy Programme Director at the RSA, where he also served as Acting Head of Programme. He has published on topics as diverse as cognitive and behavioural science, water provision and the politics of cultural memory. Prior to the RSA Jonathan worked for Common Purpose a charity promoting leadership in civil society.

Recently, Labour controlled Lambeth council has been making the news with its mutualism plans. This has been contrasted with the model being adopted by Tory controlled Barnet and has allowed a reprise of the Easy Council v John Lewis headlines that first emerged last November.

Pitting two iconic brands against each other makes good headlines and provides cover for a proxy ideological battle between Labour and the Conservatives. The real picture, however, may be a little more complicated.

The difference between red and blue mutualism is not yet fully apparent, although the Lambeth version appears to involve service users more directly in the setting up and running of co-operatives.

Join us in this discussion.

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