‘Big Society’ Dangers

Labour’s ‘big society’ video is pretty well thought out. It is not the normal impersonal, direct political campaigning that you usual find with political broadcasts. Nevertheless, the humourist element of the video should not be taken lightly – there is a serious point that needs to be taken on here, something Labour have highlighted quite well.

The Tories’ ‘big society’ will result in nothing more than a reduction of necessary state functions, and an increase in services that are not reliant – as they depend on the ability and commitment of the community. Thus, services that are vital for some people’s livelihoods will be cut away, as the local services become increasingly subject to the market’s will - as another aspect of the ‘big society’ is profit, profit, profit for those selected interests that back the Tories.

It can sometimes sound very nice. Who doesn’t want a bit more control over their life? But devolving all aspects of responsiblity, so a school can become run from a shed (hypothetically of corse), is hardly going to give us any more control. In fact, it will reduce it.

This is the thing with the Tories. The ‘big society’ is just another gimmick, as is their ‘contracts’. Just another way to make a claim to be something ‘new’ and ‘exciting’. Fortunately, many people have not really been deceived - many people realise that there is a role for the state in helping provide for a fairer society. Yes, the state needs to be rolled back in areas where it attacks our civil liberties, but to decrease the state to the point where vital services become dependent on community provision, well that is a very dangerous situation indeed.