PM's 'big society' speech offered 'nothing new'
Wednesday, 16 February 2011 1:08 PM
The severity of the government's spending cuts will halt David Cameron's 'big society' in its tracks, according to volunteering champion David Robinson.
Writing in politics.co.uk's Speakers Corner, the charity chief says the prime minister offered "nothing new" in his speech on Monday.
Comment: Big leadership is needed for the 'big society'
He argues that relaunched initiatives like the 'transition fund' and the 'big society' bank are "utterly inadequate" in the face of the cuts.
"Spending on public services is returning to 1997 levels and because the cuts are being applied so quickly they are disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable - the 'easiest to cut' rather than the least needed. Large areas will be left without core services like youth work or advice services," he writes.
"Nothing new was offered on Monday to deal with these issues. The 'transition fund' (which has already closed), the 'big society' bank and other relaunched programmes (mostly replacing existing ones with smaller sums) are worth at best about £0.5 billion. Total cuts to public sector funding of vital third sector services amount to more than £4 billion."
He argues that local voluntary groups will not be able to step in and fulfil the prime minister's vision of the 'big society' without funding.
"The 'big society' 'answer' is, in the short term, utterly inadequate," Mr Robinson adds.
"Maybe, in time, more will be done voluntarily but not without an infrastructure, not in areas where the need is greatest and most specialised and certainly not right away."
Mr Robinson, the co-founder of charity Community Links, was an original exponent of David Cameron's 'big society' agenda. The prime minister has described Community Links as "one of Britain's most inspiring community organisations".
But since the scale of the cuts became apparent, Mr Robinson has written several letters to the prime minister asking him to rethink the extent of fiscal restraint.
Today he restates those concerns, urging the prime minister to write to local authorities and demand a "six-month moratorium on implementing cuts to third sector programmes".
He calls on Mr Cameron to show "big leadership" and asks for a review of local cuts to stop them adversely affecting the most vulnerable.
Increasing pressure on the prime minister, he says if the government continues to "stick with the cuts. we'll be paying the price for a generation".
Mr Robinson makes clear he supports the 'big society' in principle, but argues the means to build it are "at risk".
The continued criticism from a highly-respected member of the voluntary sector will come as a blow to Mr Cameron as he tries to convince a sceptical public of the merits of the agenda.
The prime minister tried to draw a line under criticism of the 'big society' in his speech earlier this week. Labour has described the initiative as a cover for deep cuts - a claim Mr Cameron strenuously denies.
Tory backbenchers have also expressed cynicism for the idea, which they say met with an unfavourable response on the doorstep in the general election.
Mr Cameron signalled his intention to stick by the initiative on Monday, saying it was his "mission" to bring the 'big society' to Britain.
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