David Cameron's 'Big Society' initiative faces a major setback as Liverpool City Council withdraws from one of four pilot schemes. Council leader Joe Anderson, a Labour politician, has written to the government expressing concerns about the programme. The move highlights growing tension between the coalition's message of empowering communities and the reality of spending cuts.
Critics argue that the Big Society remains poorly defined and misunderstood. Many commentators note that the concept has been around in the voluntary sector for years and is not new. One blogger remarked that until the government itself agrees on what Big Society means, it will remain meaningless to the public.
There are also fears that the initiative is a cover for cutting public services. A commenter on Nick Robinson's blog suggested that the Big Society is 'little more than a means of getting services carried out on the cheap by volunteers, while costing trained, experienced people their jobs.' Others point out that most working-age people are too busy or pressured to volunteer.
The withdrawal of Liverpool, while led by a Labour council, may signal wider discontent. The coalition government must now work to clarify and sell the Big Society idea if it is to survive.
