To watch for in 2011
19th Jan 2011
"The Christmas break was a good chance to stop and reflect on the developments of the past year and to ponder on how these same trends might develop in the 2011.
Last year was about preparing for spending cuts, notably the post-election emergency budget and the Spending Review. 2011 will be the year when these plans turn into - potentially harsh - reality.
Cuts to public services means more than just ‘getting more for less’. There is much more to consider in what could become a volatile period politically. For example, the goodwill which government requires in order to function effectively between elections. Also, the balance to be struck between compromise, both within the coalition and with external interests, and actually implementing the budget cuts. These are management and communications challenges for the government aside from driving forward its growth, decentralisation and public service reform agendas.
All of this provides an important context for public affairs programmes in 2011. Moreover, what does this mean for the relationship between organisations, voters and representatives? Themes like ‘austerity Britain’ (however different the modern incarnation may be from its post-war ancestor), ‘new localism’ and ‘big society’ may start subtly to change the way politics and policy is managed in Westminster, Whitehall and England. Food for thought for 2011."