How Social Enterprise UK Responded to the Prime Minister’s ‘Shared Society’ Speech

Peter Holbrook, CEO of Social Enterprise UK, has today responded to the Prime Minister’s speech on the ‘Shared Society,’.

He said:

“It is always welcome when the Prime Minister talks glowingly about our great movement. We stand ready to help the Government create an environment in which charities and social enterprises can thrive.

There is some way to go. Currently too many social enterprises are succeeding despite rather than because of the economic, taxation, and policy environments they operate in. They need a government which helps them help the most vulnerable as well as those just managing: including social enterprise in the Industrial Strategy would be a good start.

Nevertheless, it is refreshing to hear the Prime Minister reiterate her intention to lead a Government which is active and which rejects a laissez-faire approach to social issues.

As ever, the devil will be in the detail and the delivery, and we know that many social enterprises are ready and able to put these words into action.

There is much in the ‘shared society’ speech that we can agree with, particularly its recognition that the problems we face are cross-sectoral issues, not able to be solved by social, private or public sectors alone.  In this, social enterprise has an important and increasing role to play – and government can and should help create the conditions for this movement to accelerate its growth.”