Big Society's Big Mouth Powered by v

I only joined this site to say that this "Big Society" is the most poorly-defined, thinly veiled excuse for cost-cutting I think I have ever seen. Isn't this a synonym for doing the Government's dirty work? I would very much like to debate with David Cameron (DC to his mates) on this subject, but I very much doubt I'll get the chance to.

Are voters children, to be lead along by the nose with this ohsocatchy buzz-phrase? What the Big Society really means is that we pay tax on all our public services, and then we end up running them ourselves. I don't WANT to run a school. I don't WANT to elect a police chief. I don't want to do voluntary work. I have enough to do working full-time and TRYING TO KEEP MY JOB among all the government spending cuts, thank you very much. I want to be left alone. I don't think it's fair in the slightest for the Government to be trying to tell me what I should be doing with my spare time. In fact I think it's damned condescending and intrusive.

ASK YOURSELF - if David Cameron cared about the "Big Society" would he be cutting Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance to the level that he is, abolishing the 5-bedroom rate, increasing non-dependent deductions and moving the goalposts for a one-bedroomed property to those OVER 35 ONLY? As well as planning to cut the going rate for HB to the cheapest 30% of properties in an area. Would he be recklessly slashing government funding for disadvantaged people if he actually cared about those people? Scrapping Surestart centres? Getting rid of benefits for mothers on benefits and low incomes? I suggest you look into Cameron's policies more thoroughly before deciding whether to listen to anything this hypocrite says.

The Big Society is one big meaningless, ill-thought-out spiel, and it's a dirty trick to pretend you care about vulnerable people on the one hand, and then take away the funding for services they use with the other (60% of all youth services in my area are being cut. SIXTY PERCENT. Including Connexions Workers, Surestart Centres, Youth Clubs. Watch the crime-rate soar and then watch the government scramble to explain why that has happened. Um, no services, no support, no help for people to get their lives back on track...it's not exactly a difficult equation, David.)

In short, this is a LOAD OF RUBBISH and I want no part of it. There's an honest voter response, and there are LOTS of people who feel the same way I do. I work in a role which involves supporting vulnerable people and I am FUMING at the hypocrisy, recklessness, and above all, arrogance with which these spending cuts are being made. So, you won't have a job, you won't be able to afford to feed yourself, but would you mind running a school for us? Ahem. SHOVE IT MATE.

Any of you who fall for this sales-talk are foolish. And young people in particular need to start speaking out about the effects the cuts are having on them. Slashing EMA and increasing tuition fees? No help with getting on the property ladder for the under-35s who are at a SERIOUS disadvantage compared to previous generations (and not all of us can tap the bank of mummy and daddy for our £20,000 deposit - newsflash Mr Cameron) Putting vulnerable people at risk of homelessness through cuts to vital services? Do me a favour. Live in the real world for a few hours. But no, the Tories will sit on their cloud with their money and privilege, and watch Britain burn. I would die before voting Tory. Just when Maggie gets ousted and you think things can't get any worse...well they may not be worse yet. But give it six months. Read less