The Tories have just distributed the policy document to go alongside their event today. There’s stuff in there about new funds for social enterprises, a recruiment drive for community organisers, neighbourhood grants, and so on. But it’s the last page of the document which caught my eye…
Apparently, the Tories would introduce an annual, national “Big Society Day” to “celebrate the work of neighbourhood groups and encourage more people to take part in social action projects.” Hm. I suppose that’s all well and good, if you’re into that kind of thing. But you can expect this to become a political sticking point, as the left questions whether it’s really an annual Celebrate Conservative Government Day.
UPDATE: A Tory SpAd tells me that this day would be co-ordinated by a new independent group – the Big Society Network – which has been launched today. That takes it a step away from being state-sponsored, but I suspect the left will still have issues with it being put in such Cameroonian terms.
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