An ungodly alliance has converged on the Big Society. From the left, The Voice of the Mirror, the Unions and
Steve Richards have published diverse critiques; from the right, Philip Johnston has joined Peter Oborne in suggesting that the policy is
suffering a near-death experience. The Local
Government Association and councillors have added
their disgruntled voices as the day has progressed.
All in all, it’s quite a circus and the government’s gentle response has been totally inadequate. Francis Maude penned an article for today’s Times (£), which, despite being commended by Tim Montgomerie, couldn’t really distract from the mauling Maude received on Newsnight last night. The agenda’s myriad problems were distilled into a 10 minute ambush: the term ‘Big Society’ has been overused to the point of being meaningless, and cutting funding from the voluntary sector has left charities with the time-consuming burden of fundraising, which is no easy task in the current climate.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in