Book: Go Big - How to Fix Our World by Ed Miliband
A random find the first time I wandered into the library post-pandemic proved to be a surprisingly comforting read.
Born out of the Reasons to be Cheerful podcast - something I’ve never heard of as I don’t listen to podcasts, each chapter deals with a different problem and gives solutions.
To start with… since WW2, successive governments have built an average of 128,000 social homes. In the last 30 years, just 24.000 have been built. I thought Right to Buy was brilliant but didn’t know that meant the 2m houses sold were not replaced. As someone who was bought up to be a homeowner, like the rest of my family, I’d always looked at social housing as a temporary measure that should be available for all those who need it; none of these ridiculous points systems and waiting lists and diabolical ‘take what you get offered’ attitude. However, the more I hear about places like Vienna, where most live in cost-controlled rented social housing, the more I think this is a better way.
And we absolutely shouldn't have private properties as social housing - it hasn't worked. It’s all driven by greed. All property should be built by councils (not housing associations). Homes are then assets, rent-controlled and plentiful.
So yes, this book has sure made me think.
I’ve always been a fan of mixed communities (my dad was too), which means good facilities are shared equally. And on the subject, I detest the phrase ‘near good schools’ in estate agents’ windows. All schools should be good.
Our institutes are behind our attitudes
Yes! Fathers today spend 7 times more time with their kids than 40 years ago, and only 1 in 10 think a women’s job is at home. Who are they?!
On social enterprises - the area I work in, the example of Cooks frozen foods is new to me. ‘the best thing governments can do is get out of the way’.
Of course, social workers, childcare workers and all care staff should be considered part of the economy.
The number on how businesses rely on the government is startling. Apple started with government funding in 1980 (and uses tech that started with government tech), and Tesla got a $465m loan in 2009. That is some leg up. Fast forward, in the UK, FB & Google take 80% of UK digital advertising spend, a third of online shopping is on Amazon and 99% of phones use Google or Apple software. Amazon controls 65% of the US ebook market (a platform I will never use and subsequently wasn’t able to sell my own book online as every vehicle I turned to used them). Big Tech is the second largest lobbying group in the US after pharmacy.
DYK football clubs were created to curb excessive drinking to give people something to do with new leisure time on Saturday afternoons—the irony.
Network effect - the more people use something, the more useful it gets
For all the shocking facts, the solutions are laid out. I am now convinced young people should be given the vote and love the idea of participatory budgeting
Possibly my favourite story is the one about Brighthouse. I did not know how this terrible company that took advantage of the most vulnerable in our society went under. That was a day of celebration for me.
What an optimistic book; it gives me much hope.