“Big Society” Nonsense Fails Big Time in Liverpool
One of David Cameron’s largest ‘Big Society’ projects — in Liverpool — has collapsed after the inherent contradiction between budget cuts and “increased support for community groups” dawned upon the scheme’s promoters.
According to reports, the ‘Big Society’ project in Liverpool was meant to support community groups and charities “central to the government’s vision” as mapped out in its nonsensical election manifesto.The ‘Big Society’ scam in Liverpool hooked in local television producer Phil Redmond as its well-meaning frontman in order to try and sell the scheme to Liverpool Council and the public.
However, Mr Redmond has now washed his hands of the scheme, according to local media reports.
“The project has made little progress amid funding cuts,” Mr Redmond gave as his reason for quitting.
This opinion was confirmed by Sir Stephen Bubb, chief executive of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, who told the media that the ‘Big Society Network,’ set up by the government to support community organisers, is “imploding internally.
“Some of the apparatus they had set up to promote this idea is falling apart,” Sir Stephen said.
“Ministers should be protecting and using the existing voluntary sector, ensuring cuts didn’t fall disproportionately on charities.
“What this shows is you can’t drive development through diktats from Westminster. The vanguards were devised in London as showcase projects; they weren’t things that grew from within the sector,” he added.
Even if the ‘Big Society’ was actually real and not some half-baked fantasy drivel invented by David Cameron to divert attention away from this political bankruptcy, the savage spending cuts announced by the ConDem regime will make any further handouts impossible — just as Liverpool Council has discovered.
The council announced last week that it was to axe 1,500 jobs as part of a drive to save £141 million by 2013, and third sector umbrella body Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services is losing two-thirds of its jobs to cope with an expected £800,000 cut in its £1.2 million budget for the coming financial year.
This news came after it was revealed that the Government’s ‘Big Society adviser', Chinese-origin Nat Wei, had found it impossible to continue in his role because he had not been paid.
