Does Cameron's "Big Society"....

[RMCW]

...remind anyone else of "The Fourth Sector" from that episode of "The thick of it"??????????

This depresses me very much.

I have felt for years - since Bluerghair really - that the parites were all basically starting to be the same....same outcome wanted-different language/approach to get it.

Ed Milliband as leader of labour is a disaster...I am sure the stories of tories celebrating when he won the leadership contest are true. His brother is a contender.

sigh....the lib dems are pretty much finised I think. No one will trust them again. The unseenly scrabble for positions after the election was nauseating.

The media played Ed Miliband up as if he was a contender, then when he won, I am sure that the Tories were cheering. Then when he appointed Alan Johnson as Shadow Chancellor, they probably couldn't believe their luck. I think Ed also said that there shouldn't be strikes. He makes a great opposition.

But it's not all depressing. They do listen and they do adapt policies to take account of the public's mood, even if it is done slowly. So it is still important to campaign for change and not to become despondent.

...am VERY dispondent

but outpourings of frustration on MN arent gonna rock their worlds tooooooooooo much are they? even if they make me feel a tad better.

i'm an activist in italy which means taking part in demos, leafletting and all that bollox but at times i don't see much point in that either as people have grown so jaded and apathetic. this mood is engendered by the conviction that ALL politicians are bastards so surely the way to make real change is to stay positive and - above all - ACTIVE. which sometimes means loggin off MN! (unfortunately))

I try to take the Monty Python attitude "always look on the bright side of life". There's nothing else we can do. Watch an episode of the 'The Thick of it'. That's why they create it, so that we can laugh at it all and not become despondent. Remember, "we're all in it together", and tomorrow is another day.

That is EXACTLY what I am going to do claig

I was pretty politically active when I was a student but since then have sort of become as you describe george....I hate feeling like this.

The Big Society reminds me of that in The Ragged trousered Philantropist. Nothing big about it, just people left to the charity of laydeez with time and money on their hands.

But then when we read about how the elderly are treated in some of our hospitals, as is all over the papers today, where they die of dehydration, then thank God there are some people who are active.

It was happening under Labour, so I don't really know how it will ever change.

Claig - you still won't have volunteers working inside hospitals, though. And the situation is only going to get worse with all the cuts.

I agree with you ChristinaTheAstonishing. It is a scandal. We need trained people working in hospitals, not good minded volunteers. We need top services provided by trained staff, not a bunch of Sunday volunteers.

But we know it is not going to happen, we know they are all in it together. Putting your faith in Labour won't change things, our elderly were getting that treatment under Labour, as all the scandals showed.

Claig your posts are now making me want to emigrate.........If this lot are no different to the shower of shite called the Labour Party god help us! Must say it does not feel so 'Orwellian' now they have gone. Or are they up to social engineering and Big Brother also? Me thinks so!

Claig have you ever thought of a job in relocation? perhaps helping those leave these lovely shores for a better life. You could give all of your above political arguments for leaving, to clients who want to bugger off!

I sell timeshare in Tenerife. They're queuing up for it.

There are differences, but not as great as they make out. But, you are right, it is less Orwellian, the Labour lot are even worse. But you know all that, that is why you aren't Labour or Conservative.

You know yourself what the Tories will do to make it more difficult for private school children to get top university places. We know they are just as green as the other side, there'll probably give us more green taxes than the last lot did. They all sing from the same hymn sheet.

they'll probably

Actually I find it all very interesting.

The social enterprises and charities (the third sector) who the Coalition expect to deliver much of the Big Society tend to be 'left of centre' types - so lots of adjustments being made there.

If it does work (and I admit it's a big if) where does that leave Labour?

Claig. I'm surprised and very disappointed that the Tories are into social engineering. I always naively saw that as a Labour domain.
I worked hard coming from a poor working class background, and went to University etc; to send my children to private schools now Cameron want's my children discriminated against at school. State school children will get into top universities with lesser A levels. I think Cameron's treading a very dangerous path.

The private school parents save the country 3 billion. Why should we be discriminated against?

I have lost faith in Cameron (never had much anyway) and would certainly not vote for him. Your posts are right, there is barely a fag paper between Labour and Tory.

You're right. They are both social engineers, just that Labour are more so. Remember, Blunkett's databases for nursery children to spot future criminals. I have heard a Tory MP in the past supporting it.

Bit they are still better than Labour.

Still better than Labour? Give them time, give them time.

"with FEWER A levels" that should be complimentary. tee hee. so you object to dave et al because they're not right wing enough? i object to him because he's a rabid neocon dressed up as a moderate. if that's not contorted don't know what is.

if you lived in italia claig you'd be a supporter of Beppe Grillo prob in his vaguely apocalyptic assertions that ALL politicians are self serving bastards who has himself now formed a political party. but he's actually v green so u prob wouldn't be.

i think we are all a tad confused.

only future for me is back to real socialism.

Naughty, George. :o

complimentary - why do you send your children to private school if you genuinely feel they will be discriminated against? Surely you actually feel it is advantageous in some way for your children to be educated privately??? Otherwise, why are you doing it? And don't you believe that, actually, they will have a better chance of getting higher exam grades if they have been educated privately?

but georgeorwell, the necons were all from leftwing backgrounds, all ex-Trotskyists. Even Christopher Hitchens is an ex-Trot.

Rightwing is about freedom. Scoial engineering is Orwellian State control.

I wouldn't support any greens, because they are the most Orwellian of the lot.

Rightwing is NOT about freedom.

Rightwing is about freedom for the oppressed rich. They wish to be able to spend their money freely.