Jowell: ‘Big society’ has stalled

Tessa Jowell, former culture secretary, comments on David cameron’s ‘big society’ speech

“A year into the ‘big society’, David Cameron’s big idea has stalled. Big promises have been made but little has been delivered. Soaring political speeches like this may get headlines, but in practice this rhetoric is contradicted by this government’s actions.

“Cameron’s failure to pursue the ‘big society’ through progressive principles in practice means that, without a change in direction, it will fail.

“Under the indiscriminate impact of accelerated cuts the essential elements of community life are slowly being starved of sustenance. What we lose in the next two years may become impossible to rebuild in ten.”