This article engages with the debate about citizenship and responsibility by drawing on the experience of citizens whose voice is rarely heard in that debate. The article draws on a study of a specific citizenship obligation, the payment of local taxation, and in particular interviews with people who had failed to pay local tax - a group who could potentially be characterized as ‘irresponsible citizens’. From the perspective of these citizens the experience of paying local tax raises issues not about a deficit of responsibility but insecurity and the struggle to make ends meet. The examination of local tax and citizenship also raises issues about what will be described as the unequal distribution of obligation under New Labour. The article concludes by arguing that what is highlighted is the need for consideration of responsibility in relation not just to poor citizens but to all citizens, and in particular those with higher incomes.
Alcock, P. and Pearson, S. (1999) ‘Raising the Poverty Plateau: The Impact of Means-tested Rebates from Local Authority Charges on Low Income Households’ , Journal of Social Policy28(3): 497-516 .
2.
Beresford, P. , Green, D. , Lister, R. and Woodward, K. (1999) Poverty First Hand: Poor People Speak for Themselves. London: Child Poverty Action Group .
3.
Berthoud, R. and Kempson, E. (1992) Credit and Debt: the PSI Report. London: Policy Studies Institute .
4.
Blair, T. (1997) Speech at the Aylesbury Estate, Southwark, 2 June. London: Social Exclusion Unit .
5.
Blair, T. (1998) The Third Way. London: Fabian Society .
6.
Blair, T. (2000) ‘The New Givers’ , The Guardian1 March.
7.
Blair, T. (2002) ‘A Battle Half Won’ , The Observer14 April.
8.
Blandy, S. , Lister, D. , Atkinson, R. and Flint, J. (2003) ‘Gated Communities: A Systematic Review of the Research Evidence’, CNR Paper 12. Bristol: ESRC Centre for Neighbourhood Research .
9.
Butler, D. , Adonis, A. and Travers, T. (1994) Failure in British Government: the Politics of the Poll Tax. Oxford: Oxford University Press .
10.
Cohen, R. (and J. Coxall , G. Craig , A. Sadiq-Sangster ) (1992) Hardship Britain. London: Child Poverty Action Group .
11.
Deacon, A. (2002) Perspectives on Welfare. Buckingham: Open University Press .
12.
Dean, H. (2002) Welfare Rights and Social Policy. Harlow: Prentice Hall .
13.
Dean, H. with Melrose, M. (1999) Poverty, Riches and Social Citizenship. Basingstoke: Macmillan .
14.
Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (2001) Strong Local Leadership - Quality Public Services. London: Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions .
15.
Doble, M. (2000) ‘A Regulatory Policy for Self-disconnection: An Examination of the Reasons for and Implications of Pre-payment Meter Stoppages’ , Policy Studies21(3): 229-243 .
16.
Doogan, K. (2001) ‘Insecurity and Long-term Employment’ , Work, Employment and Society15(3): 419-441 .
17.
Dwyer, P. (2000) Welfare Rights and Responsibilities. Bristol: The Policy Press .
18.
Dwyer, P. (2002) ‘Making Sense of Social Citizenship: Some User Views on Welfare Rights and Responsibilities’ , Critical Social Policy22(2): 273-299 .
19.
Edwards, S. (2003) In Too Deep: CAB Clients’ Experience of Debt. London: Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland .
20.
Esam, P. and Oppenheim, C. (1989) A Charge on the Community. London: Child Poverty Action Group/Local Government Information Unit .
21.
Etzioni, A. (1995) The Spirit of Community. London: Fontana Press .
22.
Fabian Society (2000) Paying for Progress: A New Politics of Tax and Public Spending. London: Fabian Society .
23.
Finch, J. and Mason, J. (1993) Negotiating Family Responsibilities. London: Routledge .
24.
Giddens, A. (1998) The Third Way. Cambridge: Polity Press .
25.
Hakim, C. (1987) Research Design. London: Routledge .
26.
Hammersley, M. and Atkinson, P. (1995) Ethnography Principles in Practice. Second edition. London: Routledge .
27.
Herbert, A. and Kempson, E. (1995) Water Debt and Disconnection. London: Policy Studies Institute .
28.
Hewitt, M. (1999) ‘New Labour and Social Security’, pp. 149-170 in M. Powell (ed.) New Labour, New Welfare State?Bristol: The Policy Press .
29.
Hoggett, P. and Burns, D. (1991-92) ‘The Revenge of the Poor: The Anti-poll Tax Campaign in Britain’ , Critical Social Policy33(11): 95-110 .
30.
Howard, M. , Garnham, A. , Fimister, G. and Veit-Wilson, J. (2001) Poverty: The Facts. Fourth edition. London: Child Poverty Action Group .
31.
Jessop, B. (2002) The Future of the Capitalist State. Cambridge: Polity Press .
32.
Jordan, B. (1998) The New Politics of Welfare. London: SAGE Publications .
33.
Kempson, E. , Bryson, A. and Rowlinson, K. (1994) Hard Times?London: Policy Studies Institute .
34.
Kenway, P. and Palmer, G. (1999) Council Tax: the Case for Reform. London: New Policy Institute .
35.
King, D. and Wickham-Jones, M. (1999) ‘Bridging the Atlantic: the Democratic (Party) Origins of Welfare to Work’, pp. 257-280 in M. Powell (ed.) New Labour, New Welfare State?Bristol: The Policy Press .
36.
Kneen, P. and Travers, T. (1994) Implementing the Council Tax. London: LGC Communications/Joseph Rowntree Foundation .
37.
Lavalette, M. and Mooney, G. (1990) ‘Undermining the “North-South Divide”? Fighting the Poll Tax in Scotland, England and Wales’ , Critical Social Policy29(10): 100-119 .
38.
Levitas, R. (1998) The Inclusive Society. Basingstoke: Macmillan .
39.
Lister, R. (1990) The Exclusive Society. London: Child Poverty Action Group .
40.
Lister, R. (1997) Citizenship: Feminist Perspectives. Basingstoke: Macmillan .
41.
Lister, R. (1998) ‘Vocabularies of Citizenship and Gender: the UK’ , Critical Social Policy18(3): 309-331 .
42.
Marshall, T.H. (1963) ‘Citizenship and Social Class’, pp. 67-127 in T.H. Marshall, Sociology at the Crossroads and Other Essays. London: Heinemann .
43.
Mead, L.M. (1986) Beyond Entitlement: The Social Obligations of Citizenship. New York: The Free Press .
44.
Muellbauer, J. and Cameron, G. (2000) ‘Five Key Council Tax Reforms and Twelve Reasons to Enact Them’ , New Economy7(2): 88-91 .
45.
Murray, C. (1996) ‘The Emerging British Underclass’, pp. 23-52 in R. Lister (ed.) Charles Murray and the Underclass: The Developing Debate. London: IEA Health and Welfare Unit .
46.
Novak, T. (1995) ‘Rethinking Poverty’ , Critical Social Policy15(2/3): 58-74 .
47.
Orton, M. (2001) Who’s Responsible? Council Tax Debt, Citizenship and Capitalism. Doctoral thesis, University of Warwick.
48.
Orton, M. (2002) ‘Council Tax: Who Benefits?’ , Benefits10(2): 111-115 .
49.
Orton, M. (2004) ‘New Labour, Citizenship and Responsibility: Family, Community and the Obscuring of Social Relations’, pp. 173-190 in H. Dean (ed.) The Ethics of Welfare: Human Rights, Dependency and Responsibility. Bristol: The Policy Press .
50.
Regan, S. (2001) Assets and Progressive Welfare. London: Institute for Public Policy Research .
51.
Reid, S. (1995) Changing Values: the Need for Regular Revaluations of Council Tax Properties. London: Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation .
52.
Robson, C. (2002) Real World Research. Second edition. Oxford: Blackwell .
53.
Rowlingson, K. (2002) ‘Private Pension Planning: The Rhetoric of Responsibility, The Reality of Insecurity’ , Journal of Social Policy31(4): 623-642 .
54.
Rowlingson, K. and Kempson, E. (1993) Gas Debt and Disconnections. London: Policy Studies Institute .
55.
Scott, J. (1994) Poverty and Wealth: Citizenship, Deprivation and Privilege. London: Longmans .
56.
Sinfield, A. (2003) ‘Changing Tax Welfare’ , paper presented at the ESPA NET conference Changing European Societies - The Role For Social Policy, Copenhagen, 13-15 November.
57.
Sparkes, J. and Glennerster, H. (2002) ‘Preventing Social Exclusion: Education’s Contribution’, pp. 178-201 in J. Hills , J. Le Grand and D. Piachaud (eds) Understanding Social Exclusion. Oxford: Oxford University Press .
58.
Standing, G. (2002) Beyond the New Paternalism. London: Verso .
59.
Taylor-Gooby, P. and Hastie, C. (2003) ‘Paying for “World Class” Services: a British Dilemma’ , Journal of Social Policy32(2): 271-288 .
60.
Thatcher, M. (1993) The Downing Street Years. London: HarperCollins .
61.
Wilson, W.J. (1994) ‘Citizenship and the Inner-City Ghetto Poor’, pp. 49-65 in B. van Steenbergen (ed.) The Condition of Citizenship. London: SAGE Publications .
