Liverpool pulls out of big society pilot after government cuts 'put community groups at risk'
Gemma Spence
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Liverpool City Council has withdrawn from the big society pilot programme, launched by Prime Minister David Cameron last year.
Cameron named Liverpool, Sutton, Windsor & Maidenhead and Eden Valley in Cumbria as councils that would test ways of putting the government's big society initiative into action, at a launch event last July.
However, Councillor Joe Anderson, leader of Liverpool council, today wrote to Cameron relinquishing the city’s role in the pilot, saying funding cuts and a lack of support to iron out problems so it could successfully deliver the programme had 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."
Anderson added that the council was committed to working with its communities but the severity of recent cuts would hit funding for many voluntary and community groups.
"[Voluntary and community groups’] ability to help us improve the quality of life for Liverpool residents has been seriously undermined by two government decisions," he explained. "Firstly, the loss of over £100m of area-based grants to Liverpool has put many organisations' very survival at risk. These funds, aimed at tackling deprivation, were widely utilised by the voluntary sector.
"Secondly, Liverpool’s extremely poor local government settlement means a huge £141m reduction in council spending over the next two years. This level of cuts will significantly impact on council services, including the funding of many of our voluntary and community groups.
"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?"
However, Councillor Joe Anderson, leader of Liverpool council, today wrote to Cameron relinquishing the city’s role in the pilot, saying funding cuts and a lack of support to iron out problems so it could successfully deliver the programme had 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."
Anderson added that the council was committed to working with its communities but the severity of recent cuts would hit funding for many voluntary and community groups.
"[Voluntary and community groups’] ability to help us improve the quality of life for Liverpool residents has been seriously undermined by two government decisions," he explained. "Firstly, the loss of over £100m of area-based grants to Liverpool has put many organisations' very survival at risk. These funds, aimed at tackling deprivation, were widely utilised by the voluntary sector.
"Secondly, Liverpool’s extremely poor local government settlement means a huge £141m reduction in council spending over the next two years. This level of cuts will significantly impact on council services, including the funding of many of our voluntary and community groups.
"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?"
