Contents
1. A typology of rights 5
Limitations of new rights 6
Neoliberal reform of public services 6
The mutation of privatisation 7
2. The new community rights 8
Community Right to Challenge 8
Right to Request and to Provide 9
Community Right to Bid 11
Right to Buy 11
Right to Transfer 11
Right to Manage 11
Community Right to Build 12
Right to Reclaim Derelict Land 12
Right to Choice 13
Right to Personal Budgets 13
Right to Control 14
Right to Limit Council Tax Increases 14
3. New pathways to privatisation 15
Political objectives 15
Potential impact of the Community Right to Challenge 17
Conflict between rights, choice and contract cultures, and localism 17
Democratic accountability and transparency 18
Economics of commissioning 19
Public cost of community rights 20
Determining value for money 22
Political or business empowerment 22
Changing role of the state 23
Social finance market 24
Quality of jobs and illusion of jobs growth 24
Reducing inequality and poverty? 24
Impact on public management 25
Impact on the voluntary sector 25
Monitoring and review 26
What can be done to oppose these policies? 26
Appendix 1: The essence of a contract culture 28
References 29
Figure 1. New community and individual rights create new pathways to privatisation 16
Table 1. Public cost of community rights 21