The quiet revolution that could overthrow welfare reform
By: Communications
As MPs gear up to vote on changes to the benefits system, a UEA expert in grass-roots politics says parties need not parrot right-wing rhetoric to gain popularity.
A vote on the government’s welfare reform bill, which would see disability and sickness-related benefits payments cut, is set to take place next Tuesday.
The government say the move is necessary to save £5bn a year by 2030.
But professor of citizen participation, Prof Peter Beresford OBE, says that cutting welfare only panders to right wing populism - which is at odds with a “quiet revolution” that has been taking place in our personal and social lives.
His new book ‘The Antidote: How People-Powered Movements Can Renew Politics, Policy and Practice’ published by Policy Press is out now.
Stripping welfare is not reform
He said: "A nation is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable — stripping welfare is not reform, it's abandonment.
“The welfare reform bill is deeply unpopular. We have already seen a rebellion of more than 100 Labour MPs who are trying to block the government’s planned changes to the benefits system.
“Across Britian, there has been a widespread sense of political disempowerment, shared across divided groups. This division has enabled the rise of right-wing populism, which pits people against one another. Traditional political parties have largely responded by adopting similar rhetoric.
“This is very evident in things like Labour’s welfare reform bill which will make it harder for disabled people to claim personal independence payments (Pip).
A quiet revolution
“But a quiet revolution has been taking place in our personal and social lives, with growing movements toward equality, diversity, and inclusive participation across gender, race, age, and ability.
“These social trends stretch far deeper than any narrow preoccupation with the equality, diversity and inclusion agendas that are attacked as ‘woke’. The unpopularity of the welfare bill is testament to this.
“And they reflect a desire for more democratic, bottom-up involvement in systems like health and social care, challenging traditional top-down control.
“We need to transform formal politics by building on the inclusive, participatory values already evolving in our personal lives.
“To counter right-wing populism, society must unite overlapping minority groups through grassroots alliances - focusing on shared experiences rather than differences.
“Intersectionality – the idea that people hold multiple, overlapping identities – should be embraced to foster mutual understanding and collective strength.
Working for real change
“Real change requires moving beyond symbolic politics toward genuine inclusion and shared power.
“The solution lies in building authentic participation – not just promises – and recognising that people want to be truly heard and involved in shaping their lives.”
Prof Beresford is a visiting professor at the University of East Anglia. He is a writer, researcher, educator and campaigner with a long-standing interest and involvement in issues of participation and empowerment.
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