Public opinion: Your blogs

Why is it so hard to be soft?

Soft and hard are strange words. They carry a lot of baggage, a lot of it gender-based. And much of it involves value-judgements that are questionable at best.

I've been thinking a bit about this as I've been researching the second part of a series of …

‘Cool Communities’ are taking to a low carbon diet

The political leaders of the world that gathered in Copenhagen had the unenviable responsibility of forging a strategy to pull humankind back from the brink of a dire future. What ultimately will come from this meeting is uncertain, but whatever occurs, the challenge ahead is immense. According to conservative …

Phoenix rises: the power of community regeneration

A true regeneration professional should never shy away from a challenge, and the satisfaction of seeing a project get underway and a community benefiting from its own hard graft more than compensates for any frustrations and drawbacks. Recently we have been lucky to play a part in ensuring an …

Are 19th century legal forms more appropriate for social enterprise than we think?

I recently blogged about legal forms that social enterprises are adopting, drawing on published figures from the respective regulatory bodies, in an attempt to see if the hype surrounding certain forms is matched by reality.

Recognising that as great as my blog is, not everyone subscribes to it, …

The tragedy of the ‘refreshed’ Compact

Last week a revised version of the Compact, the terms on which the third sector and government work together, was published. Matthew Scott, director of the Community Sector Coalition, says that the new agreement is a step backwards for equalities and for community sector organisations.

Now is …

Ownership matters

It’s always gratifying when politicians catch up with the rest of us. So a seasonal cheer for Tessa Jowell’s Progress lecture this week.

Tessa has discovered mutuality, another of those so-called best kept secrets which aren’t secrets at all, as the millions of people who are …

A more honest approach to counting rough sleepers is needed

Homelessness is in evidence all around us and yet, surprisingly the government currently only recognises 464 rough sleepers throughout the entire country.

It is impossible to see these figures as realistic, when there are so many without a roof over their heads this Christmas. If we want to …

Chancellor signals his support but a hard slog ahead

Although the headlines about the pre-budget report will inevitably be about the tax on bankers’ bonuses and the Social Investment Bank being set up, the real news from my point of view was a commitment 'explore options' on better disclosure of how banks provide services to disadvantaged communities.

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In praise of inefficiency - a response to Gordon Brown

Today the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, is announcing his spending strategy in the pre-budget report. Gordon Brown has already trailed the big theme: efficiency.

The prime minister will personally oversee (at least as long as he's in office) a Cabinet sub-committee on efficiency and value for …

Pre Budget Report - short-term fix or wholesale reform?

It's the Pre-Budget Report tomorrow where Alistair Darling is expected to crack down on bankers' bonuses with a one-off supertax.

Now, this move might appease taxpayers angry that the people who helped to cause a crisis that led to a £200bn bail-out of the banking sector are …