Michael Pettavel: 'Value isn't just about what something costs'

Well, now in possession of the relevant manifestos (and one ‘contract’), I am feeling underwhelmed. Perhaps that’s not overly surprising as out of the two (or could it be three) main parties, one is attempting to deny the past and the other is playing it very safe.

The one thing lacking from all is a commitment to longer-term support. Free childcare, although important to parents caught between a rock and hard place, isn’t aspirational, it’s functional. The silence of parties on early support highlights a sad, simple truth; we are being asked to vote for ourselves, not our community, not our country and perhaps not our future.

I understand the arguments around the economic benefits of more people in work, but aren’t we just rolling the same old problems over by not addressing them at source? Shouldn’t we move away from what’s best for ‘me’ and into what is best for ‘us’?

Michael Fullan, a writer on school leadership, said you judge the quality of your own school by the quality of the schools around you. That we all have a stake in the children of our community, no matter where they attend. The same is true on a wider scale; we all have a social responsibility to improve circumstances and opportunities to build functioning communities. By default, it enhances our own lives.

The paranoia of all political parties around tax demonstrates this. What is the use of having a low personal tax burden if you can’t see a doctor, a dentist and you can’t drink the water in your taps? Without social investment, the gap widens, and we become numb to the struggles of others, partly because we are so busy trying to survive ourselves. We become protective of what we have, reluctant to share.

At some time in their life, everyone needs support. This was the beauty of Sure Start. It didn’t matter where you came from, it simply mattered that you came. It built relationships, set boundaries and reduced judgement.

It saddens me that the whole concept of ‘value’ has become solely associated with how much something costs. A smile, a kind word or just time can make more difference than a five-pound note.

It is a shame and a wasted opportunity that our leaders, fixated on what they can do for us individually and monetarily to win votes, cannot take advantage of the potential that already exists and use this as a foundation for a fairer and stronger society.