Policy Ideas and Hashtag Politics

Abstract

Hashtag politics is the practice of naming policy ideas, thereby giving them a life and, ultimately, a death. Here are three British examples of hashtag politics:

• 1. In February 2001, Birmingham City Council adopted ‘Flourishing Neighbourhoods’ as a strategic priority. During the 12 months of 2002, over 80 different organisations and initiatives aligned with Flourishing Neighbourhoods. In October 2004, questions were asked in the council chamber about why Flourishing Neighbourhoods had been ‘scrapped’.

• 2. In April 2009, the British Government announced an initiative called Total Place, designed to examine public spending and local leadership. In February 2010, Sir Michael Bichard published his report on the 13 official pilot projects and related activity across the country. In December 2011, the Coalition Government were said to have ‘torn up Labour’s Total Place programme’.

• 3. In November 2009, soon-to-be Prime Minister David Cameron stated his desire for a ‘Big Society’. In UK broadsheet newspapers, 33 articles mentioned the phrase, its merit and related activities. During the 12 months of 2010 this rose to 1,708, growing to 2,293 in 2011 and reducing to 1,377 in 2012 and 680 in 2013. In April 2012, the Daily Telegraph suggested the policy idea was ‘dead’.