Broken Trust

Published on Monday 11 January 2010 20:13

In the light of the One City Trust's uncertain future (your report, 11 January), it is instructive to revisit the recommendations of the 2000 Lord Provost's Commission on Social Exclusion, from which the charity grew.

It may have been bold and well intentioned, but two flaws undermine the commission's recommendations.

First, the commission places undue confidence in the supply of more money and resources as the remedy for poverty.

Second, it focuses on the creation of structures and mechanisms as remedies. That one of these, One City Trust, appears not to have functioned as effectively as envisaged in the commission's report, is an illustration of this flaw.

Other, better analyses of poverty now exist and in many cases the need is to unpick the inflated bureaucracy associated with policies which have failed. Future policy should encourage social mobility and prevention of poverty.

CLLR CAMERON ROSE

City Chambers

High Street, Edinburgh