Peer praises Wales’ social conscience
AS THE working-class social entrepreneur who founded The Big Issue, John Bird has never shied away from controversy.
Three years ago, when making his maiden speech in the House of Lords, he stirred the normally soporific chamber into life by revealing that as a youngster he had resorted to stealing to survive.
Now, however, he has lavished praise on the Welsh Government for passing what he sees as a “world-leading” piece of legislation that could make a real difference to the life chances of thousands.
Lord Bird, whose magazine concept bringing together serious journalism and homeless people has been copied all over the world, came to Cardiff to give a lecture about the Well-being of Future Generations Act and how its provisions should be taken up by parliaments everywhere.
He said: “One of the things I constantly find frustrating is how politicians concentrate on the short term instead of the longer term. They’re thinking of the next election rather than how to make things better years ahead.
“The Future Generations Act is different – it forces public bodies to consider the impact of decisions taken today on those who come after us. It’s very unusual for a law like that to be passed and other parliaments should follow the example.”
Lord Bird said it was important to understand that governments could intervene to create conditions where social improvements were possible.
“Many argue that wealth is created by private sector businesses and that markets will ensure prosperity. I just don’t believe that to be the case at all.
“What are the two countries which have made the major economic advances in the period since World War II? Japan and Germany. In both cases there has been an enormous amount of state intervention in the economy to ensure that conditions were right for businesses to flourish.”
Commenting on the approach to poverty being taken by the current UK Government, Lord Bird – who sits as a cross-bencher in the Lords – said: “I think the concerns over Universal Credit show that the UK Government doesn’t really care about helping poor people get off benefits. Instead, they want to give them welfare payments that aren’t enough for them to live on...
“We should be moving to a social form of capitalism, where it isn’t just about a small number of people earning a lot of money, but where everyone has a stake in the success of the enterprise and where nurturing communities is important.
“What we have to do is create a new working class that is highly skilled and able to do the kind of jobs that pay enough to give them the freedom to have a good life. That should be the aim of governments everywhere, and I think Wales is leading the way. When Mark Drakeford said he was a 21st-century socialist and that Aneurin Bevan was his model, I know that he deserves to be taken seriously.”