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FABIANSOCIETY 
Freethinking
Mutual Action, Common Purpose:Empowering the Third Sector
Chaired by the Rt Hon David Blunkett MP
DAVIDBLUNKETT
 About the author
Thanks are due to Tom Levitt MP, Rt Hon Alun Michael MP, Margaret Moran MP, RichardBurden MP, Sally Keeble MP, Fiona Mactaggart MP, Andy Reed MP, Baroness GlenysThornton, Celia Barlow MP, David Borrow MP, Rob Flello MP, Baroness Mary Goudie, IanLucas MP, Baroness Julia Neuberger, Baroness Jill Pitkeathley, Christine Russell MP, Lord Andrew Stone.
 Acknowledgements
Freethinking
 
FABIANSOCIETY 
Freethinking
The Fabian Society is Britain’s leading left of centre think tank and political society,committed to creating the political ideas and policy debates which can shape the future ofprogressive politics. With over 300 Fabian MPs, MEPs, Peers, MSPs and AMs, the Society plays an unparalleledrole in linking the ability to influence policy debates at the highest level with vigorousgrassroots debate among our growing membership of over 7000 people, 70 localbranches meeting regularly throughout Britain and a vibrant Young Fabian section andthe Fabian Women’s Network, both organising their own activities. Fabian publications,events and ideas therefore reach and influence a wider audience than those of any comparable think tank. The Society is unique among think tanks in being a thriving,democratically-constituted membership organisation, affiliated to the Labour Party butorganisationally and editorially independent.For over 120 years Fabians have been central to every important renewal and revision ofleft of centre thinking. The Fabian commitment to open and participatory debate is asimportant today as ever before as we explore the ideas, politics and policies which willdefine the next generation of progressive politics in Britain, Europe and around the world.Find out more at www.fabians.org.ukFabian Society 11 Dartmouth StreetLondon SW1H 9BN020 7227 4900info@fabian-society.org.ukThis pamphlet, like all publications of the Fabian Society, represents not the collectiveviews of Society but only the views of the author. The responsibility of the Society is limitedto approving its publications as worthy of the Labour movement. The publication may notbe reproduced without express permission of the Fabian Society.
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Freethinking
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FOREWORD
In July 2007 the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, asked me to chair a workinggroup reviewing the role and place of the voluntary, community and not forprofit sector – sometimes referred to generically as the Third Sector – for futurepolicy developments. Anumber of very experienced Parliamentary colleaguesagreed to participate and I want to thank them for the substantial time,commitment and thoughtfulness which they have devoted in helping to putthis document together.This review aims to give a very clear picture of not only what is happening, but the direction in which it is important that the Labour Government shouldmove, building on the substantial work that’s been done over the last decade.Labour is the only major political party that grew from the grass roots up – asopposed to a Parliamentary party seeking popular support from the top down.The values set out in this document illustrate the historic commitment ofLabour to reinforcing the relevance of civil society – people helping people,creating mechanisms and institutions to reflect the needs and aspirations fromtheir own lives, and joining together to make a difference through mutualaction and common purpose. The ‘enabling’ government at local and nationallevel is always the objective – electing representatives to make it possible forpeople to shape their own lives, to be empowered and to influence both policyand events. Government, therefore, has a key role as partners with thoseseeking to bring about change in their own lives or the wellbeing of others,and in seeking to ensure that the common good is achieved (using themechanism of the Public Benefit Test mentioned later), and ensuring that allthose responsible for investing public money or commissioning ask thequestion ‘how does this fit into the overarching objective of securing the long-term wellbeing and empowerment of the individuals and communitiesserved?’In an ever increasingly global economic, social and cultural environment –with twenty-four hour, seven-days-a-week news – the anchor, stability andsecurity of community has never been more important. The old adage thinkglobal, act local, is more relevant than ever.The extraordinary events which unfolded in the autumn of 2008 led tounprecedented government intervention in Britain, Europe and NorthAmerica, to save key financial institutions and the operation of financialmarkets. This underlined the importance of identity, belonging and scale. Insimple terms, whilst reinforcing the importance of government (and formalpolitical action), these events have reinforced the necessity of stability within both the lives of individuals and families, but also in reinforcing theimportance of community. We therefore welcome the summit organised byMinisters and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) toaddress the challenges which the economic downturn poses, and how theGovernment can best assist (November 24th). Where elected governments are
The values set out inthis document illustratethe historic commitmentof Labour to reinforcingthe relevance of civilsociety 
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