Liverpool, one of the government’s four Big Society ‘vanguard areas’, has withdrawn its support for the programme saying the government’s spending cuts make it impossible to continue.
Joe Anderson, leader of Liverpool City Council, wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron today telling him of the council’s decision and condemning the government’s failure to help it deliver the Big Society vision.
The move will come as a huge embarrassment to the government and especially to civil society minister Nick Hurd, who has been forced to reassert his government’s commitment to the Big Society in recent weeks.
Liverpool is the only Labour-controlled council among the four vanguard areas.
In the letter, Anderson told the PM that Liverpool had already been “doing Big Society” for many years, with a voluntary and community sector that is well-established and very successful. But the reduction in the council’s budget settlement of £141m over the next two years and the loss of £100m of area based grants to civil society groups had seriously undermined the ability of the council and the sector to improve the lives of residents, he said.
“When we agreed to become a vanguard, your government promised to work with us to remove some of the problems and blockages that were preventing us from successfully delivering our Big Society programme,” he wrote. “I have to say, the government has failed to deliver a single change that we have requested, which has severely hampered many parts of our programme.
“How can the City Council support the Big Society and its aim to help communities do more for themselves when we will have to cut the lifeline to hundreds of these vital and worthwhile groups?
“I have therefore come to the conclusion that Liverpool City Council can no longer support the Big Society initiative, as a direct consequence of your funding decisions.”
Last week the council announced it would have to make 1,500 staff redundant and estimated that up to 500 more jobs would be lost in the voluntary sector over the next two years as a result of council funding cuts.
CLG response: Vanguards are not led by central government
CLG issued a statement saying: “The Big Society vanguards are led by local communities and people - not central government.
“The initial four vanguard areas have been invaluable training grounds and have demonstrated where barriers, both cultural and practical, should be removed through deregulation, direct support or measures in the Localism Bill.
“Every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to help reduce the massive budget deficit, and help ensure jobs and economic stability. But the new government is giving councils real freedoms to promote local economic growth and to focus resources on frontline services and local priorities.”
Vanguard area Sutton to continue
Cllr Sean Brennan, leader of Sutton Council, one of the other pilot areas, said the authority would continue to take part in the scheme: “It’s disappointing that Liverpool has pulled out of Big Society but we will continue to support it because we believe in the principle and taking part in local life is part of our DNA.
“The Big Society is actually very simple; it’s about local people knowing what’s going on, being able to have their say and get involved in the running of their area if they want to.
“Our experience of the Big Society is that many people in Sutton are not just willing but enthusiastic to play a more active role in their communities if you involve them in the right way.”
