There's a lot riding on Pride in Place. Politically it's one of the Government's key tools in winning back support in areas once considered Labour heartlands. MPs of all parties are promoting it as a personal victory in their attempts to win funding for their constituents. For local authorities it brings an opportunity to raise living standards and reduce demand on overstretched statutory services in high need areas. And for communities, of course, it's a chance to invest in critical physical and social infrastructure in places that have been overlooked, left behind and are now at the mercy of more polarising forces.
Those behind the strategy – both inside and outside of government – are working to a clear theory of change: empower local people to lead the regeneration of their neighbourhoods and you will build the capacity needed for communities to engage in the design and delivery of a wider set of services. The aim is double devolution, democratic renewal and a fundamental re-set of the relationship between citizen and state.
