Respect agenda

Prominent policy of Tony Blair

This article is part of a series about Tony Blair
Electoral history MP for Sedgefield Beaconsfield by-election Leader of the Opposition Leadership election Brown Deal Shadow Cabinet Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Premiership Policies New Labour, New Life for Britain Ambitions for Britain Britain Forward, Not Back Blairism New Labour Third Way Appointments "Tony's Cronies" "Blair Babes" First ministry and term Ministry 1997 election Chancellorship of Gordon Brown 1997 budget 1998 budget 1999 budget 2000 budget 2001 budget Good Friday Agreement peace process Handover of Hong Kong People's princess Kosovo War Military intervention in Sierra Leone Second ministry and term Ministry 2001 re-election 9/11 War on terror War in Afghanistan 2003 invasion of Iraq Iraq and weapons of mass destruction Saddam–al-Qaeda conspiracy theory Bush memo Downing Street memo February Dossier September Dossier Ultimatum to Iraq Iraq War 2002 budget 2003 budget 2004 budget 2005 budget Third ministry and term Ministry 2005 re-election Cabinet reshuffle 2006 budget 2007 budget Cash for Honours London bombings Respect agenda Leadership succession Post–Prime Minister 2007 Sedgefield by-election Quartet on the Middle East A Journey (autobiography) Associates Faith Foundation Iraq Inquiry Sports Foundation Institute for Global Change
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The Respect agenda was launched in September 2005 by Tony Blair, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Tony Blair described it as being about "putting the law-abiding majority back in charge of their communities".^[1] Its aim was to help central government, local agencies, local communities, and citizens to tackle anti-social behaviour collaboratively and more effectively.^[2]

In a speech in January 2006, Tony Blair acknowledged that Respect owed much to the work of sociologist Richard Sennett, particularly his 2003 book Respect: The Formation of Character in a World of Inequality.^[3][4]

In late December 2007, shortly after Gordon Brown succeeded Blair as prime minister, it was reported that the government had effectively ended the Respect programme by closing down the Respect Task Force and moving its head to another job inside the Cabinet Office.^[5] However, much of the Respect Agenda was incorporated into a Youth Taskforce Action Plan in the Department for Children, Schools and Families.^[2]

The agenda was co-ordinated by the Respect Task Force, a cross-governmental unit based at the Home Office. Louise Casey, former director of the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit, headed the Task Force.

The key policies of the Task Force were published in the Respect Action Plan in January 2006. The report advised tackling the underlying causes of anti-social behaviour, intervening early where problems occur and broadening efforts to address other areas of poor behaviour.

The agenda promoted a range of tools including Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs), Parenting Orders, Family Intervention Projects and Dispersal Orders. The Task Force claimed use of a combination of the available tools can be effective when tackling the problem, although ASBOs have encountered some controversy.

• Respect website