Being made a fool of by Peter Mandelson … and other thoughts on the third sector and recession

February 18, 2009 by
Filed under: The RSA 

Peter Mandelson has made a fool of me once again.  There I was in yesterday’s blog, and in a short clip on Newsnight, praising his speech and willingness to address head on the challenges of being in government in recession.  It was only after I had gone on the record that I found that Peter had removed some pre-briefed sections of his speech – presumably as a result of a ticking-off from Downing Street!

Generally, I try to avoid being clipped for TV programmes – you are never sure which bit of the interview they are going to use and whether it will give a balanced impression.  In fact I did say something controversial to Newsnight which wasn’t used: referring to the argument about bonuses, I suggested that this might be another example of the Government making a decision which would have made sense a year ago, but may not now.  The bonus culture was a huge problem in the days of excess, but now, arguably, we need more people willing to take risks to keep valuable businesses afloat and back new ventures. 

Far be it for me to use my blog to try to bounce my Trustees but the case I am trying to make to them at the moment is that the RSA continues to be ambitious despite the hard times.  Not surprisingly, the recession is putting pressure on our Hospitality business and we are finding it harder to retain Fellows, but overall we are not doing badly. I hope we will have the confidence to continue the process of the reform of the Society. 

The dilemmas facing the RSA are typical of the third sector as a whole.  In a piece with the irresponsibly depressing headline, ‘The worst is yet to come’, David Brindle, Editor of Society Guardian, today makes some gloomy predictions about the voluntary sector.  It is true that only a small number of charities have substantial endowments or reserves, but I hope these organisations will be generous and brave in the coming period.  After all, what are those reserves for if not to be used at the time of greatest need?  Of course, if the recession deepens into a depression and goes on for several years, then all bets are off, but in the short to medium term we need as many people as possible to do what they can to help keep activities going and stimulate new initiatives.  It will be the behaviour of the private and public sectors that determines when we pull out of these dark days, but the third sector needs to show courage and leadership too.

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Comments

10 Comments on Being made a fool of by Peter Mandelson … and other thoughts on the third sector and recession

  1. Jim Godfrey on Wed, 18th Feb 2009 2:34 pm

    2. Stitched up? Wouldn’t have happened in my day. Really enjoying the blog – RSS link works really well

  2. Guido Fawkes on Thu, 19th Feb 2009 11:52 am

    3. Perhaps if you changed course away from turning the RSA into yet another left-of-centre talking shop and stuck closer to the founders intentions you might prosper better.

    Differentiation in a crowded market is preferable.

  3. matthewtaylor on Thu, 19th Feb 2009 2:01 pm

    4. Thanks Guido

    I’ll discuss your concerns with our incoming chair, that well known socialist Luke Johnson, or perhaps with George Osborne when he makes a major speech here in a few weeks, or perhaps I can address it in my forthcoming speech to the Bow Group. We are a broad church and always will be

  4. Guido Fawkes on Thu, 19th Feb 2009 3:49 pm

    5. Yes, your staff even invite me to speak at your functions. That proves nothing.

    You self-indulgently witter on about “new progressivism” all the time. You are turning the RSA into Demos with a better building, destroying the historical ethos of one of the great institutions of British public life.

    It has become a vehicle for your politics. Which is a terrible shame.

  5. Karen on Thu, 19th Feb 2009 4:03 pm

    6. I didn’t know you were an RSA member, Guido?

    Do you think that David Cameron is self indulgent when he talks about progressivism? http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/david-cameron-we-are-the-champions-of-progressive-ideals-824278.html

  6. D iversity on Thu, 19th Feb 2009 4:51 pm

    7. Dear, dear! If Guido feels persecuted by backsliding at the RSA, might I suggest that an occasional Guiness is very good for the perspective?

    On Mandy, I don’t think he ever actually intended to say what he cut. But getting publicity for what he did not say was his rather desperate tactic for putting G Broon and other colleagues on notice to think before announcing.

  7. matthewtaylor on Thu, 19th Feb 2009 4:53 pm

    8. Hi Guido

    I am happy, as always, to engage with the substance of your comments (I won’t respond to the abuse although I wonder why your adherence to traditional values doesn’t extend to being courteous). The criticism of the term progressivism can be based on the suggestion that it is either a code word for ‘left wing’ or, if it is not, that it is merely vacuous. Instead, I argue that progressivism can be defined as a belief in the possibility of collective action advancing human progress (defined in turn as the fulfilment and enhancement of human potential and well-being|). On the one hand, this is not an inherently left or right wing position. On the other hand, it is substantive as can be demonstrated by the fact that there are a variety o legitimate objections to progressivism. It can be opposed by thsoe who think the future is generally worse than the past (Melanie Phillips is a powerful exponent of this view), that human beings are incapable of bettering themselves (John Gray has argued this passionately) or that any attempt, as it were, to engineer progress is likely to be counter productive (brilliantly argued by Michael Oakeshott).

    So to be a progessive is neither empty nor poltically exclusive.

    Thanks, as always, for your comments

    Matthew

  8. Guido Fawkes on Thu, 19th Feb 2009 7:36 pm

    9. Highlighting your unfortunate tendency to self indulgent pontificating is the substance of my charge, not casual abuse. This stuff is like undergrad PPE essays – Progressive is neither left nor right, empty nor politically exclusive, yadda, yadda. Thanks very much Matthew, very illuminating.

    The founders of the RSA wanted it to “embolden enterprise, enlarge science, refine art, improve our manufactures and extend our commerce”. Stick to your knitting and do the freelance pontificating elsewhere.

    [Not sure what you are on about with regard to "traditional values", perhaps you presume (incorrectly) I am a conservative.]

  9. matthewtaylor on Thu, 19th Feb 2009 8:07 pm

    10. Hi Guido

    I think you are mistaking my blog for the activities of the RSA. We deliver our mission in our work on design, our project on arts and ecology, our project on developing new forms of saving and investment, our emerging project on entrepreneurship in a cold climate, our collaboration with UCL neuro-scientists on new models of human decision making, our recently commissioned pamphlet on new forms of small manufacture……

    Blogging is for me an open and informal way of raising issues and inviting conversation, not a formal statement of the RSA’s work programme or philosophy. But maybe I misunderstand the medium?

    Best

    Matthew

  10. matthewtaylor on Thu, 19th Feb 2009 8:18 pm

    11. You may be right. If so I guess it worked. Thanks for the comment and for being brave enough to criticise Guido!

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