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Ymgysylltiad gwleidyddol a dinesig yng Nghymru yn oes y Gymdeithas Fawr Political and Civic Engagement in Wales in the age of the Big Society. 23 Mehefin am 6pm Thursday June 23 2011. Political Engagement in Wales. 2011 Assembly elections: 41.4% (-2%).
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Ymgysylltiad gwleidyddol a dinesig yng Nghymru yn oes y Gymdeithas FawrPolitical and Civic Engagement in Wales in the age of the Big Society 23 Mehefin am 6pm Thursday June 23 2011
Political Engagement in Wales 2011 Assembly elections: 41.4% (-2%) March 2011 referendum: 35.2% (50% in 1997) May 2010 general election: 65% Growing indifference?
The Big Society? Government: local & national Social providers: public & private Individual volunteers / neighbourhood groups Source: www.thegrouchotendency.blogspot.com
Mass Civic Engagement? • POSITIVE • Greater interest in local rather than national engagement • Optimism and belief in efficacy of localism • NEGATIVE • Knowledge deficit • Informal not formal volunteering • People prefer to be a spectator rather than a participant
Local vs. National EngagementImbalance between interest & knowledge National politics – 58% How things work locally – 69% INTEREST KNOWLEDGE National politics – 53% How things work locally – 46%
Civic engagement in Wales 75% interested in how things work locally BUT Only 37% feel knowledgeable about how things work Source: LGIU Blog – Feb 2011 Source: Audit of Political Engagement 8
Desire for local involvement 51% agree ‘when people like me get involved in their local community they can really change the way their area is run’ BUT Only 43% want involvement in local decisions (-5%) Only 1 in 10 say they will ‘definitely’ volunteer at some point in next couple of years’
What are people willing to do? Definitely / Probably will 29% help sick/elderly 28% sports, social groups 25% activities for kids 25% charity / campaign organisations Definitely / Probably won’t 81% trade union 70% political party 70% church/ religious group
Who wants to get involved? Under 45 years old (particularly 25-34) Higher social grades (ABC1s) People with children Liberal Democrat supporters
‘Raw material’ of the Big Society? Already Active (14%) Willing Localists (14%) Not interested in politics BUT interested in local area and willing to get involved 2/3rds are female 44% have children Prevalent in Wales (29%)
What would get people more involved? Overwhelmingly self-interested responses: • ‘if I felt strongly about an issue’ (40%) • ‘if it was relevant to me’ (33%) • ‘if I had more time’ (28%) • ‘if it affected my street’ (25%) Big Society must show how benefits are tangibly local and personal.
The Big Society in Wales 60% – getting involved locally can make a difference Volunteered in last 12 months: 42% in Wales (36% in England) 1.1 million volunteers (147 million hours) 41% engaged in civic activism, consultation or participation (35% in England) Sources: WCVA & Citizenship Survey Source: LGIU Blog – Feb 2011
Focus on……… Motivation provided by local interest – the ‘willing localists’ Addressing local knowledge deficit Volunteering benefits being tangibly local and personal Wales well placed for broader civic engagement
John Osmond – Chair (Director, Institute of Welsh Affairs) Dr Ruth Fox & Matt Korris (Hansard Society) Jenny Rathbone AM Graham Benfield (Wales Council for Voluntary Action) Mark Isherwood AM Prof. Richard Wyn Jones (Cardiff University) Ymgysylltiad gwleidyddol a dinesig yng Nghymru yn oes y Gymdeithas Fawr Political and civic engagement in Wales in the age of the Big Society