The Tory flagship policy of a 'Big Society' was launched today via Eric Pickles 'Localism Bill' and has set the future agenda with a massive raft of cutbacks the like of which the country hasn't seen in years.Tory controlled Sedgemoor District Council had been working on a funding gap of £1.4m based on an anticipated cut of 7.25% and will now have to look at further savings as the Government has finally announced cuts to Local Authorities of 9.9% .
Local Labour representatives have attacked the unprecedented harsh cuts of 9.9% .Cllr Kathy Pearce, Leader of Sedgemoor District Labour Group said "This is terrible news which will impact especially on children, families, the elderly, disabled, the homeless and the vulnerable, who will feel the brunt of the loss of many of our public services.
The notion of "the Big Society" is completely disingenuous. The bottom line is that services need to be adequately funded and need trained people to run them. What we will have is a mass collapse of the structures that keep our society functioning".
The Tory/LibDem Coalition Government plans were backed today by Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg who said the 'Big Society' was the "same as liberalism" , doubtless compounding the feelings of frustration within his own party which surfaced last week over tuition fees.
The notion of "the Big Society" is completely disingenuous. The bottom line is that services need to be adequately funded and need trained people to run them. What we will have is a mass collapse of the structures that keep our society functioning".
The Tory/LibDem Coalition Government plans were backed today by Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg who said the 'Big Society' was the "same as liberalism" , doubtless compounding the feelings of frustration within his own party which surfaced last week over tuition fees.
Chairman of Sedgemoor District Labour Party , Cllr Brian Smedley, said "Most Libdem voters didn't vote for tuition fees and they didn't vote for this. Waking up in bed with the Tories is causing some pretty bad hangovers!" "What we've seen so far with the student protests has just been a starter for 10 for the ConDem Coalition. The next front will be opened by the Trades Unions as the cuts hit the workplace and front line services and by the May elections next year people will need to decide which side they're on . When the Tories are in Government theres no room for an indecisive centrist party."
Labour and Tories are today neck and neck in the polls at 40% while the Lib Dems have slumped to an all time low of 8%.
The 'Big Society' is another step toward charity status for services they can't squeeze their beloved profit out of. No doubt the Corporate Libertarians of the Conservative party's hard right see a future where voluntary staff run the hospitals for the poor, manual workers fight over poverty waged jobs as we return to the Tory ideal of "one man working, three at the gates", only the rich can be educated, and the return of the workhouse.
ReplyDeleteThere's no doubt they're out to viciously attack and reverse all the great social changes of the last century, well, wasn't that always their game? Except this time they're not expecting significant opposition. We'll see.