Literacy news
Liverpool pulls out of the Big Society
24 Feb 2011
Liverpool City Council has pulled out of the Big Society pilot programme launched by the Prime Minster, David Cameron. The city was one of four pilot areas for the scheme, aimed at giving community groups and volunteers more control over their local services.
In a two page letter addressed to Mr Cameron, Councillor Joe Anderson said a lack of support and the council's "extremely poor" local government settlement, which means a £141m reduction in council spending over the next two years led to the decision to pull out.
He said:
When we agreed to become a vanguard, your government promised to work with us to remove some of the problems and blockages that were preventing us from successfully delivering our big society programme. I have to say, the government has failed to deliver a single change that we have requested, which has severely hampered many parts of our programme.
The letter concludes:
How can the City Council support the Big Society and its aim to help communities do more for themselves when we will have to cut the lifeline to hundreds of these vital and worthwhile groups?
I have therefore come to the conclusion that Liverpool City Council can no longer support the Big Society initiative, as a direct consequence of your funding decisions.
Sean Brennan, leader of Sutton Council in South London in one of the other pilot areas said that the authority would continue to take part in the scheme.
It's disappointing that Liverpool has pulled out of Big Society but we will continue to support it because we believe in the principle and taking part in local life is part of our DNA.
Read the coverage from Children and Young People Now.
Most read
Related content
- What will the commission on boys' reading find? in Blogs by Fiona Lewis
- Refreshing reading this summer! in Blogs by Judy Clark
- Literacy in unexpected places in Blogs by Jonathan Douglas
- New year musings on the new National Curriculum in Blogs by Abigail Moss
- Could do better: latest overview of adult literacy in the UK in Blogs by Jonathan Douglas
