Big Society not the answer
Sir Stephen Bubb of Acevo has openely criticised the Big Society in an article on the Financial Times
European countries that look to Britain as a model for the third sector may need to start looking elsewhere for inspiration following a scathing review of the Conservative government’s flagship “Big Society” policy by Sir Stephen Bubb.
In an article published by the Financial Times on December 19, Bubb, the head of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, openly criticised David Cameron’s Big Society claiming it has been “irreparably damaged” as a brand.
When the Big Society was launched there were high hopes that charities, voluntary organisation and social enterprises would be the vital ingredient for a vibrant new civil society. However, points out Sir Stephen, the Big Society has been associated with spending cuts and too much emphasis has been put on volunteering rather than empowerment.
In the Financial Times article, Sir Stephen congratulates David Cameron for understanding that civil society is not just about value for money and it is crucial that citizens feel they have more control over public service delivery. But his overall message is clear: the Big Society has failed to deliver its promises and has suffered from “bad communication bad articulation of the idea”.
