Table Of ContentMany people today feel that something has gone wrong
with British society and British politics. The quality oflife
seems to be declining. Crime soars. Traffic and pollution
spiral. Mass unemployment is undiminished, while many
people experience insecurity and stress at work. Growing
poverty and inequality have left many ofBritain's citizens
excluded from mainstream society. Everywhere, the sense of
community seems to be breaking down.
In the world as a whole, poverty and conflict cause immense
suffering and threaten the security of nations. Global
environmental degradation - from the greenhouse effect to
the destruction of rainforests - makes the very future of the
planet uncertain.
Yet the political system seems barely to register what is
happening. It is hardly surprising that public disillusionment
with politicians and Parliament has never been higher.
The Politics of the Real World addresses these interlocking
crises. Setting out the issues clearly, it explains how
conventional economic and social policies are creating the
problems we face, not solving them. Arguing that the
British political system itself needs rejuvenating, it proposes
a new direction for the UK in an increasingly
globalised world.
REAL WORLD
is committed to raising the importance of
environmental sustainability, socialjustice-in the UK
and internationally - and democratic renewal
in UK political debate.
The Members of the Real World coalition are:
ALARM UK
Birmingham Settlement
Black Environment Network
British Association of Settlements and Social Action Centres
Campaign Against Arms Trade
Catholic Institute for International Relations
Charter 88
Child Poverty Action Group
Christian Aid
Church Action on Poverty
Electoral Reform Society
Employment Policy Institute
Forum for the Future
Friends of the Earth (England. Wales and Northern Ireland)
Friends of the Earth Scotland
Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation
lona Community
KAIROS
Media Natura Trust
Medical Action for Global Security (MEDACT)
National Peace Council
Neighbourhood Initiatives Foundation
New Economics Foundation
Oxfam (UK and Ireland)
Pesticides Trust
Population Concern
The Poverty Alliance
Public Health Alliance
Quaker Social Responsibility and Education
Save the Children Fund
Scottish Education and Action for Development (SEAD)
Tools for Self Reliance
Town and Country Planning Association
Transport 2000
Unemployment Unit
United Nations Association
United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel
Walter Segal Self Build Trust
Wildlife Trusts
Women's Environmental Network
World Development Movement
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-UK)
and in association with
International Institute for Environment and Development
MICHAEL IACOBS
is and economist and writer whose previous books include The Green Econom!l
( 1991 ). Since 1997 he has been General Secretary of the Fabian Society
THE POLITICS
OF
THE REAL WORLD
Meeting the New Century
Michael Jacobs
WRITTEN AND EDITED
FOR THE
Real World
COALITION
~~~~D[i]~~~ru
from Routledge
First published in the UK 1996 by
Earthscan Publications Limited
For a full list of publications please contact:
Earthscan
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Earthscan
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Earthscan is an imprint af the Taylor & Francis Group, an in forma business
Copyright © Real World, 1996
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers."
Notices
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and
knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or
experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they
should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including par
ties for whom they have a professional responsibility.
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and
are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-85383-350-2 (pbk)
Typesetting by PCS Mapping & DTP, Newcastle upon Tyne
Page design by S&W Design
Cover design by Andrew Corbett
Contents
Foreword vi
Acknowledgements xiii
xiii Introduction: Hope, Fear and the New Century xiii
2 Succeeding to Fail: Questioning Progress 7
3 The Environmental Imperative: Towards Sustainability 13
4 Only Connect. .. From Global Poverty to International Security 41
5 Inequality and the Quality of Life: Repairing British Society 67
6 The Renewal of Democracy 105
7 Conclusions: The Politics of the Real World 117
References 126
Real World Member Organisations 134
Foreword
Real World is a unique coalition of independently constituted UK
non-governmental organisations campaigning in one or more of the five
policy constituencies of sustainable development:
• environmental sustainability,
• social justice,
• eradication of poverty,
• peace and security, and
• democratic renewal.
The original impulse for Real World was the failure of the 1992 UK
General Election to even address the global problems that prompted the
1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development. never mind the
manifestations of them in this country.
At the time, a number of people came together to explore whether it
would be possible to establish what would be an unprecedented coali
tion of UK groups campaigning on the broad sustainability agenda. The
objective was to illuminate the intimate causal links between their var
ious concerns, and to argue that it was no longer enough to address one
set of issues in isolation. The 1997 General Election was identified as a
catalyst for building up a head of steam for this strategy and to carry it
forward into the next parliament
The outcome was that. in the spring of 1996, over 30 organisations
launched the Real World Coalition by jointly publishing The Politics of the
Real World. The book was written with and for Real World organisations
by Michael Jacobs. in order to set out the underpinning argument that
there was a logical causal connection between the problems the indi-
vidual member organisations sought to remedy, and to illustrate it by
the witness and experiences of the diverse member organisations in their
own fields. It has been a measure of the importance of the Real World
initiative that The Politics of the Real World sold over 13.000 copies in a
matter of months, and is now endorsed by over 40 organisations.
For this, the book's fourth reprint, we felt a new foreword was
required. Nearly two years have passed since it was first published, and
since then the 1997 General Election brought a Labour government into
power in the UK. A new political energy has begun to flow, bringing with
it some welcome policy initiatives aimed at some of the key concerns of
vii
Real World member organisations. For example, although central gov
ernment still maintains a tight grip on the brake, it has set out on the
road to devolving power, adopting a fairer electoral system, and for the
first time ever in this country, protecting human rights in law.
Furthermore, the 20 per cent target for reduction in carbon dioxide emis
sions by 2010 is a welcome and genuinely bold target. putting the UK
ahead both in Europe and internationally when it comes to facing up to
the urgent reality of climate change.
But whatever grain the new government says it wants to work with,
it still has to contend with huge, often global. forces pulling in a com
pletely different direction; the very direction which has led - inevitably,
as this book argues - to the problems Real World organisations seek to
address. What brought us together is the recognition that the issues we
are each concerned with individualiiJ are so inter-related, both nationally
and internationally, that they can only be dealt with successfully if they
are addressed together.
Moreover, our own experience (not to mention the evidence of
numerous opinion polls) confirms that the majority of people in the UK
do want to live in a country where caring, sharing and tolerance are
values to be not only cherished, but also rewarded. There is absolutely
no evidence of widespread support for continued poverty or pollution.
This book sets out the core thinking that lies behind the Real World
initiative. It offers a positive vision, and demonstrates that a political
and economic programme which directly addresses the root reason for
all the problems we face can not only improve the quality of life for
people in Britain and elsewhere. but can also help restore a shared sense
of purpose and common values to society. We believe it has the capacity
to turn the urgent task of restoring the integrity and stability of the
Earth's ecosystems into a beneficial project for local community regen
eration and social inclusion. as well as reducing the dangers of
international conflict and enhancing security.
The government that will take us into the third millennium has a
large majority and good intentions. but it also faces major constraints
and a relatively impotent parliamentary opposition. This makes the
responsibility of civil society to play a robust questioning role all the
viii
greater. especially if the trend to devolution of power continues. It will
take time for the new systems to bed in. and for habits to changed
enough, for any new democratic process to take up its proper responsi
bilities in managing the checks and balances on executive power.
The ongoing purpose of Real World. therefore. is to provide a strictly
non-party political forum in which the complete agenda of sustainable
development can be articulated and championed. Amongst other things.
we will be monitoring trends in the five sustainable development policy
constituencies and publishing a progress report based on publically
available data. including evidence from the wide-ranging experience of
member organisations.
This book offers an analysis of the issues with which we are deeply
concerned and proposes some directions for reform. Its remit is neces
sarily wide. which means it goes well beyond the stated aims and objects
of any one of Real World's member organisations. In endorsing this book.
each organisation is therefore indicating their formal agreement only in
those areas where they have specific competence. At the same time.
however. each endorses the overall argument of the book Each also
acknowledges the remits of the other member organisations of Real
World in those areas where they themselves do not have specific com
petence.
Sara Parkin
Chair
6th January 1998
)t~ ~~eM~
1~
John Stewart Susan Spencer
Chair, Chief Executive,
ALARM UK Birmingham Settlement
~~~~\)\
H~
Judy Ling Wong John Matthews
Director, Head, ix
Black Environment Network British Association of Settlements
and Social Action Centres
~
~~ ~
Ann Feltham Ian Linden
Joint Co-ordinator, General Secretary,
Campaign Against Arms Trade Catholic Institute for International
Relations
fJ~~
A--~ ~~
Andrew Puddephatt Sally Witcher
Director, Director,
Charter 88 Child Poverty Action Group
J~~
Nta.M~
Jenny Borden Niall Cooper
Acting Director, National Coordinator.
Christian Aid Church Action on Poverty
ii(Jtk
;de~
Ken Ritchie John Philpott
Chief Executive, Director,
Electoral Reform Society Employment Policy Institute
