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

[RMCW]

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

The point about Wakefield was that he was being paid money from a small charity and his work afterwards involved a small private enterprise. Naive to assume it's all black and white and state is bad and charity and private companies are good. Just out of interest, on what approaches in autism is the state spending millions?

SWC - it is widely accepted in the real world (outside MN) that some public services are better delivered by non state organisations (even Polly Toynbee admitted it on R4 recently). .

As I've posted earlier - the Big Society is based on ideas which have been around for many years. Even if it's not the success Cameron hopes - it's here to stay, I suspect.

The 'volunteer' aspect is actually a smaller part than posts on here would indicate.

jackstarb - non state organisations have received state funding for delivering services. They weren't run completely unpaid and on a volunteer basis. I think I might have listened to the same radio programme, BTW :)

Cristina - it was the today programme (yesterday).

I don't think that the Coalition is saying that all public services will be run unpaid and by volunteers.

They might see scope for less essential services going to this model (e.g libraries and swimming pools - which might have closed otherwise).

But certainly more services will be delivered by non state organisation funded by the state.

And yes, this was happening anyway.

Did you read Eleison's link earlier in this thread? Brilliant - very informative.

Agree.