SADIQ KHAN SPEAKS AT THE TAWNEY DIALOGUE

Last night was the annual Tawney Dialogue which was on the theme of the Good Society with amazing contributions from Lord Glasman, Revd Lucy Winkett and Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP. Premier Radio will be posting a recording of the whole dialogue on their website soon, but in the mean time here's the text of the speech from Sadiq.

Thank you for inviting me to open this year’s Tawney Dialogue.

I would like to begin by thanking the Christian Socialist Movement for choosing tonight’s subject. As a concept, and an aspiration, ‘The Good Society’ is something everyone knows and feels passionately

about – whether we realise this or not. As a full time politician I am often approached with suggestions as to how we could live in a better world. Some of these suggestions are overarching ideals, and some are simple ideas. Some are in reaction to a topical news story, and some are simply

common sense.

Whilst I am always happy to hear these suggestions, I think that this is an important time for a much wider debate of how we should reach the ‘Good Society’. The global economic crisis has questioned some of the orthodoxies that shape our society and economy. We have a new government embarking on a programme of cuts to the public service unlike anything we’ve witnessed before at the same time we are reassessing some of the key relationships and social contracts that link our society – between the state and the citizen, the markets and the public sector, and between each other, as individuals and members of a community.

Tonight I intend to convey my own thoughts on ‘The Good Society’ and how the Labour Party can be a constructive part of it. I will consider the role that religion and ethics play in shaping our character, values, and the contribution we make to society. I will suggest that there is already the

foundation for a ‘Good Society’ in Britain today and the will to see that recognised more fully both in the UK and internationally.

Firstly, I believe that we all have the capacity to be ‘good’ – to be charitable, considerate, altruistic, kind – and many of us demonstrate these qualities to a greater or lesser extent every day. Earlier this week I launched a report from Carers UK. It showed that there are 6 million carers in England alone (that’s 1 in ten people!) and, by-the-by, they save the government an estimated £87 billion a year.

We recognise what is ‘good’ through the cultural framework that surrounds us. For millions of

people in Britain, the teachings of our faith are the framework – or at least a large part of it.

My understanding of a ‘Good Society’ and how it is to be realised personally, politically and socially is

reflected in my religion and my interpretation of it. In order to be a good Muslim and therefore a

good citizen, one has to live by these principles, and many of them underpin my understanding of

what makes the ‘Good Society’. For example, the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said:

"Those who help others are truly much blessed," and another Hadith says, “[the] best people are

those who are useful to others”.

Other faiths also emphasise the importance of each follower living a ‘good’ life – often with the

promise that by abiding in a set of values it will guarantee you a rewards in the next life, or the

afterlife.

Of course, an understanding of what’s good and bad, how to treat each other and the values that

lead to a ‘good society’ are not dependent on religion or faith - the ‘Golden Rule’ that we should do

unto others as we’d have them do unto ourselves holds true. But a ‘Good Society’ must be one in

where we go beyond the maxim, and instead actually work for the common good. As a young man, I

wanted to work for the common good by engaging with, and then participating in, politics. While at

the same time being a lawyer acting for vulnerable citizens.

Political parties, much like organised faiths, have deep held values which bind and steer their

members. As a member of the Labour Party I am guided by a will to work towards greater social

justice at home and overseas, and to do what I can to promote and encourage a stronger and more

cohesive community with greater equal rights for all. There is a massive overlap with the principles

of my faith and the Party to which I belong. These are some of the principles that would have to

feature in any ‘Good Society’.

But these values were not foisted upon me when I joined the Labour Party; I truly believe in them

and always have done. In fact, it was because I believed in these values whilst growing up in

Thatcher’s Britain that I was motivated to join the Labour Party. I did not believe that our country

could be great whilst millions were unemployed, when young adults had a bleak future, and when

there was a cap on aspiration. By becoming part of the Labour movement I knew I could make a

positive difference, and I have been fortunate enough to do that as a member of Tooting Labour

Party, a local Councillor and now as a Member of Parliament. But these are also values held by those

who don’t belong to an organised political party or religion.

Millions work for the common good, and for a harmonious functioning society – from doctors and

teachers to carers and youth workers, civil servants and police officers. I believe that it falls on the

shoulders of elected representatives to ensure that those who chose these careers do so with the

dignity that their contribution deserves. Their work should pay a wage they can live on, and that

they should be able to balance it with a fulfilling family life. That is why I am proud that (amongst

many things) the last Labour Government introduced a National Minimum Wage, improved

maternity and paternity leave, flexible working time and strengthened employment rights. We

understood the important role the state plays in supporting families and helping to create an

environment in which people have both the time and resources to contribute to their families,

communities and broader society outside working hours. I think this is a central part of a Good

Society – one in which the public sector attracts those dedicated to improving the lives of others,

and repays them with the respect and reward they deserve. We should look at how we could do

more in this regard – at a Living Wage so people in employment don’t have to claim benefits just to

get by – and we must oppose attempts by this government to undo the strides we made to help

people balance their work and family lives.

Being a public servant should be held up as a great and patriotic decision – and the current

government must be challenged when it lambasts public servants as being problematic bureaucracy

and ‘enemies of enterprise’.

Those people who work in the public service are evidence that we have a foundation for a good

society and there is further evidence of it everywhere we look.

The £78million donated to Comic Relief less than two weeks ago tells me that that we do live in a

‘Good Society’. So does the 500,000 people peacefully marching on Saturday to show we believe in

an alternative. The outpouring of support and solidarity we see when natural disasters hit, suggests

that people do care for the wellbeing of others whom they will never meet. Everyone who sits on a

PTA committee, attends Neighbourhood Watch meetings, helps out at youth clubs or supports an

elderly neighbour demonstrates good citizenship – This is what makes a good society.

Despite this, David Cameron talks of a ‘Broken Britain’ and seems to believe that ‘things aren’t like

they used to be’. I think the Prime Minister needs to check the date on his calendar – this is 2011 –

things have changed over the last 15 years, and largely for the better.

Twenty-First Century Britain is different to the Britain some Politicians hold a candle for. We are

living in a globalised, and multicultural, society. The world is more accessible and we are not limited

as we once were by geography. The internet and modern communications means that we can have

active relationships with people all around the world, and follow the news and popular culture in

other countries as easily as our own.. So the ‘good society’ is more than simply invoking nostalgia for

a pre-modern time when communities were stable, people knew and helped their neighbours, and

the local pub was a main social hub. It is about looking beyond our immediate surroundings at how

we can we make a difference for the better. The values, of family, cohesive community, public

service and social justice are constant, but we have to understand how they relate to a modern

world and a modern state.

For me this is a key difference between the ‘Good Society’ and the ‘Big Society’ - the belief in a role

for local, national and international governance to facilitate and support people who want to

improve their lives and those of the people around them. David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ simply says:

sink or swim, you’re on your own.

Don’t get me wrong – volunteering at a local library is commendable, but I think David Davies MP ,

another Tooting boy, understood the Prime Minister’s motivation behind the ‘Big Society’ ethos

when he said: ‘If you talk about the small state, people think you’re Attila the Hun. If you talk about

the Big Society, people think you’re Mother Teresa.’

But just as our concept of the Good Society needs to be understood in the context of our current

political environment, our understanding of how our economic model can enhance our society must

also adapt. I agree with the Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent address to King’s College London

where he raised the social value of promoting greater local co-operations and mutualisms, and

supported microfinancing and microcredit. I believe that a greater ethical dimension is needed in our

future economics – a start would be a tax on banker’s bonuses, rather than the tax cut they are

getting from the government. And I think the Labour Party needs to be at the forefront of the green

debate and show strong leadership on how the world can put itself on a sustainable footing and

develop an approach to greener growth and low carbon industry. It should be a priority for all of use

to ensure that the next generation does better then the last – be it economically and socially, but

also in terms of the state of the planet and relations between countries.

I believe that the ‘Good Society’ should not be restricted to our country’s borders. We live

increasingly in a global society and we should strive to live in a ‘Global Good Society’. This not only

means cooperating on international issues like climate change and living up to our responsibility to

protect citizens beyond our borders. Everyday people demonstrate the kind of humanity and

compassion that we need for the ‘Good Society’ to operate when they donate to charities that help

those in the most abject poverty around the world. But at the state level, the investment we make in

international development is not just about flexing soft power and securing our interests abroad – it

is about the kind of society and the kind of country we want to be.

This is why, like millions of other Britons, I was very proud to be a part of the Make Poverty History

movement, which was led by faith groups across the country and spearheaded at an international

level by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Their commitment to international development was one of

Labour’s greatest achievements.

So a ‘Good Society’ is made up of individual citizens and like-minded groups who believe that we can

achieve more together than we can do alone; that we can build and support institutions that will

inspire and realise their potential; all to ultimately leave the local community, nation and planet, a

fairer place for the next generation.

Maybe ‘The Good Society’ will never be obtainable, but instead be a continuous redrawing of the

horizon of aspiration, always pushing us to do a little more to build a better world. When I meet

ordinary people from around the country doing extraordinary things for their communities, I feel

optimistic that we are edging closer to achieving a good society.