U.K. Financialization of Public Service Delivery Goes Global

Abstract

Rather than social innovation or the promotion of social and environmental justice, amplified by notions of “global Britain,” the British state continues to propagate a series of aging public service delivery initiatives, mostly based on private funding. Although before Brexit there was strong British influence on European Union policies for social investment, this influence also extends globally. At the heart of these initiatives is the British Council’s Global Social Enterprise program with its reports, mapping exercises, U.K. study tours, and resources available for social entrepreneurs. The Council supports regular articles in the online Pioneers Post, which extol the benefits of impact investment using private funds.