Big Society- How is it going to work?

I don't agree that local volunteers can run libraries but it's true that they need to adapt and host more community groups. The most successful have children's story-telling activities, local history, book groups, lectures, IT access, etc. as well as e-books, DVDs, a good foreign language and reference section. It still takes time, costs money and requires expertise to organise and is not about checking books in and out.

Libraries have been closing over the last few years, anyway. What the 'Big Society' initiative does is open up opportunities for local groups to take ownership of the library and run it for themselves.

I understood that the Surestart Centres under threat were those which don't reach the lower income target groups. (could be wrong).

My dc's were just too old for me to experience Surestart - but I don't feel I missed anything. I had a good health visitor, made a network of mum friends and joined a volunteer organised mother and toddler group. Its not clear to me how Surestart is essential for mums like me (though maybe nice to have).

Well, the cuts are real, up to 40% in some areas, library closures are real, Surestart centre closures are real and it all coincides with this supposed vision of the big society.

TBH I don't think the Chope/Bone/Hollobone private members' bills are central to David Cameron's visiion but he is still trying to appeae the right wing as well as the Lib Dems.

"But substituting essential services with free or underpaid labour in a patchy and undemocratic or unaccountable way is wrong"

Muminlondon - do you know for sure that this is planned? Do you have links?

In effect Tory Big Society = Labour Third Way

Yes they did subcontract public sector work to charities and in reality what happened was a charity effectively became subsumed into the public sector delivering one massive Govt contract. Meanwhile the charity continued collecting donations from the public to cover its overheads.

In effect public donations just got swallowed in delivering the public sector contract. One such charity came doing a fund raiser at DSs school and they never explained exactly where the money was going. I only found out by looking at the charity accounts and was horrified that the donations were effectively being diverted to Govt spending.

The last government did actually subcontract some local government services to regeneration and youth work groups. charities, housing associations etc., because of their expertise and new ideas. So the Big Society.idea is not 'wrong', and certainly nit new. Doing more with the funds available is a good idea.

But substituting essential services with free or underpaid labour in a patchy and undemocratic or unaccountable way is wrong.

Rabbitstew. I think the reply was to do with 'windbags'. Plenty in all of the parties IMO. The Labour party never believed it the Big Society, only the Big Brother Society!

imright - what have Labour Party politicians got to do with a discussion on how the Big Society will work?

'Big Society - how is it going to work?'

Big stick?

carminaburana, I don't disagree with that either. But (1) just going to church and helping out with the coffee mornings or the flowers is not the same as charitable work (i was reacting to the Francis Maude interview) and (2) some of the most selfless and charitable people I know have been atheists or agnostics who don't go to church.

In answer to OPs question, I don't think the Big Society will work. It will go the way of John Majors "Back To Basics" campaign....

Exactly WHO will be these volunteers.... these days where I live you can't get anyone to run a cub or brownie pack, help on a school trip, because they are too busy working or are looking after children or parents they can't leave!

I don't disagree that they are all windbags either. Some lie more than others.

Muminlondon: historically - the overwhelming majority of voluntary organisations have been Christian -

I haven't voted Labour for two elections. But thanks for reminding me what my choice is.

very good summary of some of our leading political figures by imright

Why do people always assert that anyone who doesn't support ConDem policies is a Labour supporter?

The Big Society is the privatisation of public services without a mandate. It has little to do with volunteering as illustrated by the fact that amongt the first victims of the cuts are the charities that provide the essential support to said volunteers eg Homestart and CAB

Muminlondon. Tory MPs as 'windbags' surely you are thinking of Harriet Harman? (Jackboot) Jackie Smith? Tony Blair, Gordon (windbag) Brown, another old windbag ('no more boom or bust "unless I cause it! Oh yes my party caused Britain's bankruptcy, I couldn't care less I'm out off it, having a wee dram, here in Kirkcaldy. ) Or are you thinking of the two atheists Clegg and Miliband? Both Hypocrites and windbags. In Miliband's case he's a tax evader, apparently on here a MN crime!

No if you are thinking of windbags, think closer to your political home, the Labour Party.

Or are you thinkiing of the two Welsh windbags, Neil and Glennis Kinnock? Both on the MEPs gravy train for years!

Don't let me puff myself up with wind from
indignation!!!

David Cameron is playing the guilt card like a CofE vicar to disguise turning the state sector into a ruthless profit-making opportunity. So in debates like this anyone attacking his ideas sound like they don't appreciate the volunteering efforts which already go on.

Great clip, says it all - Who said that the Church of England is the Tory party at prayer?

Tory MPs see themselves as selfless civic-minded citizens with a religious and reforming zeal, motivated for the public good.

We see them as patronising, power-crazed hypocritical windbags out to defend the privileges and power of the elite with which they went to school.

Ask a minister what he does....

Georgeorwell, you'll be glad to note I am just reading Down and Out in Paris and London.

So yes poverty and corruption transcends boarders.

Interesting point about Orwel, his real name was Blair!

Tony Blair wasn't socialist and even if he had of been, how can you make socilist ideology work along side free market economics.

'Expat; some people would argue Tony Blair was a Thatcherite - he certainly wasn't a socialist.'

Did he ever pretend to be?

Because really, that's neither here nor there at this point seeing as that he's gone.

BS, it's an exercise in efficiency. It's a con to disguise spending cuts, and without a corresponding cut in taxes.

Small state + heavy taxation = con job.

rabbitstew when did blair ever pretend to be a socialist? his arrival as leader spurred me to rip up my labour membership card (after years of being tempted to anyway by kinnock) and join the (REAL) socialist party.

his regime was a continuation of thatcherism as is miliband's. dont believe their feigned opposition to the condems. THEY are all in it together in this mammoth swindle and privatisation of our very existences.

QueenBathsheba soory but don't think that by emigrating you'll wind up in some warm n cuddly utopia. there aren't any on this planet. this iniquitous system is taking a stranglehold courtesy of the US of A. i live in italy which is still worse than UK but is a corrupt state with the only social justice left to the church to mete out as and when they deign fit. lets see how the 2 compare in a coupla years down the line and the creation of the Big Society. (i'm sure i coined that term in 1984!)