Liverpool Council has written a letter to the Prime Minister, explaining their reasons for pulling out of the Big Society. Liverpool was one of four pilot areas for the scheme.
Joe Anderson, council leader tells David Cameron that the government’s cuts have seriously undermined the ability of community organisations to improve the quality of life of residents.
His letter concludes: “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 that 1,500 workers will be made redundant as a result of it having to cut £91m from its budget. Try as I might, I cannot help but see the harsh cuts to some of the poorest councils (and the increase to some of the wealthiest areas) as being based on an ideology (from the Conservatives) that has absolutely nothing to do with real need or fairness. Good on the council for stating the obvious, that they cannot put money into new schemes or even maintain current ones when they are facing such massive cuts.
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Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/liverpool-pulls-out-of-big-society-drive-2203407.html
Liverpool Echo: http://bit.ly/hlxd5R
In a completly microcosmic way, this should totally be applied by artists. If your work/project is set up to fail through lack of funding or poor support, then you need to say so, to explain all of the areas that are lacking and the reasons that it cannot succeed. Pipe up.
