Hundreds turned out at the Southbank to see Compass, the left-leaning pressure group and the New Economics Foundation, the ethical economic think tank, host a panel of eminent thinkers and a lively audience for the first of its public assemblies, where participation was actively encouraged.

Jude Kelly, Artistic Director at the Southbank Centre, Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian, Richard Sennett, writer, academic and author of ‘The Fall of Public Man’ and Danni Paffard, from the fledgling economic activism group Move Your Money, all offered their assessment of where we are, what is wrong and how we might collectively improve our lot.

The Southbank Centre, a democratic space with no one front door, felt like an excellent place to discuss the lack of civic space – in both literal and metaphorical terms – but sponsorship of the building by the oil giant Shell, much like that of the Tate by disgraced BP, leaves all sustainable thinkers wanting.

The hosts were after ideas – so we got the ball rolling.

Universities should be the place for public debate as they appear to have been in the past.

Journalism of the last 10 years has failed.

Jude Kelly opened:

We are a society with taboos and nowhere to discuss them.

Congregation space. A public forum. Temples. Alain De Botton.

The future of progress.

‘Public debate’ is via political parties and the arbiter is the media.

Alan Rusbridger said:

Phone hacking has prompted a big look into press ethics and standards.

In July, when the scandal kicked off, we were within two days of letting News Corp, that has ‘squatted over public life’, double in size. It involved everyone, from politics to the police. Common sense. Unanimous opposition. And still nothing in law.

There is now an open public interest debate about regulation, privacy, libel and subterfuge.

What is the public interest? Tabloids are commercial organisations.Solidarity means being serious about the public interest. Do not just pay lip service.

Who decides the public interest? Leveson – where is the public voice?

The Scott Trust, owners of the Guardian, allowed them to produce the story.In 17 years as editor, they only made money in 12. Now none are making money. Conventional commercial terms do not value the public interest.

Local newspapers are going out of business. Plurality?

New forms are media are where public interest journalism can occur.

Danni Paffard said:

The public needs to take more of an interest in itself. How do we make banking better? Where is the public accountability? UK Uncut has highlighted tax avoidance versus public sector cuts. £95billion in tax avoidance per year. Banking receives £100billion in subsidies.

Your bank card is so against everything you stand for. ‘You have all my money’.

We have to engage ourselves. Ethical consumerism in the banking sector. Active economic citizens. Understanding. ‘This is the new fair trade’. The ‘campaign of our time’.

In the US in October 650,000 people closed their bank accounts and put the money into credit unions.

Richard Sennett said:

Chair:

The leader of the opposition is not Ed, but Occupy.

‘Feral elite’ coined by Neal Lawson and made famous by the Guardian.

Neal Lawson said:

Believe in utopia. This is not our utopia. It is a world of private, individual selfishness and greed. Be a visionary. With the elite, there are no feedback loops.

Our minds are privatised.

Utopian good society. Public and social. It will not happen quickly. Protest, struggle and democracy.

The floor:

The notion of the ‘Public Good’ was written out of legislation in 2004. And in the US in 2005.

Coffee houses of the street. Encourage people into the street.

Public libraries.

At the end of March, it will be the end of the public health service. And the BBC certainly isn’t. LINK.

Google and Facebook are big corporations dealing in online data. We can take control.

Free schools and academies are privatisation. The data is skewed. It will privatise and centralise our school system. It will teach Latin and Churchill – of the markets and the right wing.

People who believe in markets are cultists. It is not rational. Market fundamentalists.

Nationwide would rather lend to buy-to-lets than first time buyers.

The Labour Party have been given it on a plate and they are hopeless.

Lord Philip Green doesn’t pay any tax and his money is in a bank account in the name of his Monaco wife.

‘Transform capital management’, ‘economic foodchain theory’. Incentivise business to be more of the solution than the problem.

Legal public spaces are constricted. Go where you don’t belong. How do you get people talking? Street party. Discourse. Inability to voice concerns. Anybody can have a voice. We have a right to gather and talk. Go to where you live and start the act of thinking.

We have to be good.

Vote Occupy London in the mayoral election.

Trade unionism is currently being attacked by the government. The tax payer is having to pay for them to exist within public institution. They protect the rights of taxpayers. The Guardian in 90% National Union of Journalists.

Renationalise industry.

Speak to our neighbours and go from there.

Pop-up Southbank assemblies all over London? Local campaigns. Collaborative consumption in your area. What can we do with the space lost to City roofs?

Defend the public sphere and build a better one.

The view from above at ICE

Top Gaming Trends for 2012

Other winners this week…

And the not so…

There was a strange feeling on the train, jubilant and alcohol-fueled, that we just couldn’t put our finger on. And then we remembered. The EDL were in Preston. When we go to the station we were surprised, annoyed even, to see them lighting up within the building. I asked the police why they weren’t doing anything about it, but they said it was the least of their worries. Oh.. right.



We were even more shocked, however, when we saw them being led outside to buses waiting for them to be taken to the start of their protest. Is this not something of an endorsement?


Toilets had been set-up to prevent any little accidents on public property, and the only arrests made were of EDL supporters,for being drunk and disorderly.

That’s what she said…

After her enlightening appearance on children’s Question Time, I found myself drawn again to the wisdom of national treasure Jamelia, this time her turn-of-the-millennium hit “Money”.

Following another week of general election wrangling, with #cashgordon highlighting the flaws of social media, and a fresh round of MP allegations- this time up to 20 members from across the parties taking free jollies in exchange for favours- I found a report in the Guardian confirming, yet again, the age old wisdom that having lots of money doesn’t make people happy.

“More money makes society miserable” they triumphantly shouted.

With all the tweeting and cheating this ‘news’ still doesn’t appear to have reached our pampered public servants.

But all this talk of reddies lead the BBC’s Big Questions panel last week to address an issue that has never really made it to the political agenda, probably because we are a polite breed… and it’s about money.

They asked: should there be a MAXimum wage?

You’ve probably scoffed and thought about stopping reading now you’ve seen this.

But stay with me.

There is a minimum wage, it was only brought in under New Labour, so the debate is not necessarily done.

If we are agreed there is a lower-limit under which a person could not live, then it follows that there could be an upper one?

The economists who conducted the study in the Guardian argue that “once a country reaches a reasonable standard of living there is little further benefit to be had from increasing the wealth of its population. Indeed, it could make people feel worse off.

“As a nation becomes wealthier, consumption shifts increasingly to buying status symbols with no intrinsic value – such as lavish jewellery, designer clothes and luxury cars.”

They warn: “These goods represent a ‘zero-sum game’ for society: they satisfy the owners, making them appear wealthy, but everyone else is left feeling worse off.”

Reminiscent of Alain De Botton’s Status Anxiety, which is portioned up on Google Videos if you’ve got a couple of hours and the basic but not guaranteed ability to stream, this surely makes perfect sense?

People argue that they should be able to work as hard as they want to enjoy the lifeStyle they want.

But it is almost irrefutable fact that after a certain point money can’t make you any happier.

So why bother?

You can have a ridiculous house, cars and holidays, but if you don’t get on with your partner or you’re never at home, no amount of caviar can fill the gap.

Jeremy Bentham, as you may know was one of the founders of utilitarianism, the belief that everything should be done for “the greatest good for the greatest number of people”, the “greatest happiness principle” and, like a lot of 19^th century thinking, it still rings true.

Bentham is also associated with the foundation of the University of London, specifically University College London (UCL).

He strongly believed that education should be more widely available, particularly to those who were not wealthy or who did not belong to the established church, both of which were required of students by Oxford and Cambridge.

As UCL was the first English university to admit all, regardless of race, creed or political belief, it was largely consistent with Bentham’s vision.

New Labour have widened participation, and all parties are committed to higher education if all aren’t prepared to show the cards which will set out payment plans.

But it is a shame MPs aren’t taking a leaf out of Jeremy’s, or even Jamelia’s books when it comes to the buying of affections.

Hoon, Hewitt, say this to yourselves next time a shady character slips you a family pass to Euro Disney:

“If you really cared babe

You would spend your time

If you don't understand

You can’t afford mine, no.”