National Partnership Working
When NCSN selected 'Changing Times' as the theme for its National Conference we had no idea how prophetic it would be. The title was always going to be a safe bet given the ongoing financial crisis but few could have predicted the once bitter political rivals would come to work together to form a government 'in the national interest'. Fewer still would have thought it possible for a new form of politics to be born and for the country to be governed by a Liberal Conservative partnership.
The 2010 General Election has been extraordinary and, according to new Prime Minister David Cameron, the result has brought about a 'historic seismic shift' to change the face of Government and introduced 'New Politics' to Britain.
Partnership working was always going to be the main source of conversation at the NCSN Belfast Conference this month. Now the whole country will be asking the same quesitons, as no one knows quite what to expect. Perhaps NCSN and its members should offer to mediate as we have the experience of working in partnership since 1998 and know of the benefits and potential pitfalls.
Who knows what to expect? Will the new Government start to deconstruct 13 years of Labour state control? What steps will be taken to address the buget deficit? How will this affect the econony? And what about the Public Sector?
This edition of Network News will be dedicated to covering these issues under the theme of 'Community Safety in Changing Times'. As always, plans and articles will be added right up to the print deadline to highlight emerging issues as the new Government takes shape.
