Radical Politics and Community Action

Abstract

For a decade now, British governments of varying political complexions have been more or less committed to community intervention programmes, from the Educational Priority Areas, the urban programme, CDP, inner area studies and CCPs to the current partnership schemes for the inner cities. Despite all the indications to the contrary, official sponsorship of citizen participation and community action has remained on the political agenda. The White Paper on the inner cities made the commitment clear: ‘Involving local people is both a necessary means to the regeneration of the inner areas, and an end in its own right.’¹