I've just drawn Cameron's face on my thumb. The likeness is uncanny!!
But that is bye the bye - in London a judge ruled some of the proposed cuts as a breach of human rights. And that is exactly what they are. Dissapointingly not a story the NS seems to have covered.

As someone who works - as paid staff - in the voluntary sector (CAB) I can tell you that the collapse of funding is a tragedy. Cameron and his cronies talk of a 'Big Society' and proffered this false hope it would fuel the voluntary sector, people swallowed it hook line and sinker, thinking it would create community projects thriving on voluntary participation. The collapse of Financial Inclusion Funding, Local Government and Legal Aid resources couldn't have come at a worse time, a time of need for proper advice resources to those facing redundancy as a direct result of the wilful destruction policy of this shameful government - not to mention people who are genuinely disabled and ill.

Liverpool has - quite correctly - put two fingers up to Cameron - but the arrogant sod won't take any notice.

This man, his sidekick Clegg and the awful Osborne are criminal in their actions, they aren't even promoting growth - which defeats any hope of recovery or paying back an over rated deficit problem.

It's people who suffer at the hands of this lot, - this government doesn't give one iota.

The Big Society was always a con - I said so ages ago. It's just a means of hiding vast numbers of people who will become unemployed - as they won't show up as a 'public sector' cut - we're a concealed figure.

The Big Society was always about Big 'Society' millionaires like A4E boss Emma Harrison creaming off public sector contracts - she now moves into the world of advice - ambulance chasing I believe they call it. A4E had an abysmal performance in their farcical welfare to work projects - costing people £760 million to get a pathetic 125,000 back to work.

And now she's out there - hiding under different names - recruiting for a stitched up advice agency which will offer its clients a pathetic telephone service - staffed by numbskulls who know nothing of the advice they'll be giving - they'll be guided by computers and ticking boxes to say - 'problem satisfactorily resolved'.

Needless to say Harrison is one of Cameron's 'Big Society' champions - and of course she has a very nice mansion - the proceeds of conning this country out of millions in public contracts.

Big Society = Absolute Joke.

The Big Society is another way of cutting public services & funding... this idea that, if you want something done, your local charity will do it better than the state pernicious a, not only can it probably not achieve that, but Cameron is also cutting funding to charities! No, the vast majority of the 'crisis busting' measures will be payed by the low & middle income classes & this is just the way the Conservatives want it & have always done it!

Folks!... It's not the last you have heard of the The Big Society in liverpool! Bloody marvellous!

I like Liverpool as it has been a City of Culture! Fantastic!

As I keep saying the Prime Minister David Cameron is a upright top chap! Who is going to get Great Britain Back on it's feet!!!

I'm totally believe in David Cameron!!!

Thank for the support!

@ang. @Reggie ? !

This is where Council's vent their fury over the localism bill. It's all very well giving Council's the 'power' to make decisions at local level - but what good is this - if the cuts only force them into making decisions which decrease the availability of services? The 'localism bill' should be renamed the 'coward's bill' - passing the buck & blame onto local Councils - shifting the blame to local Councils - no wonder they are all telling Cameron what he can do with the 'Big Society'. Bristol council has joined the discontent.

Reginald ol chap, hate to break it to you old boy - but the only one wearing the big society rosette in support of the floundering fool Cameron will be you old chap, now I'm sure it'll go very well with that tweed jacket of yours, but when it comes to giving a round of applause - won't it be a bit dull, the fanfare of just the one solitary clap in that deserted assembly hall? - bit like the applause the deluded man got at his conference, remember how flat that was Reggie? Surely you don't want to see your man Cameron embarrassed any further. The best thing for all of us is if Samantha, whilst reading him his bed time story, could just tell him......now shut your eyes Davey and when you wake up in the morning, promise me you'll put your best blue tie on and forget all about the Big Society, for me eh Davey? Now cuddle up to your favourite cleggsy bear and get some sleep, there's a good boy.

Surely someone can talk some sense into the man and get him to abandon this wretched idea?

"We pride ourselves on our excellent working relationships with our community and voluntary sectors, and indeed have done our upmost to support these sectors". Or perhaps utmost? Seems Joe Anderson may have enlisted the help of the voluntary sector to write his letter.

Who's to say it's not a NS subbing mistake? I see them every day.

Finally! How does Cameron expect the voluntary sector to thrive without public funding? Money makes the world go round, the tories should be more aware of this than anyone. Well done Joe Anderson for speaking out.

Well said Joe Anderson.

'We want to set free the voluntary sector and social enterprises to deal with the linked problems that blight so many of our communities, of drug abuse, family breakdown, poor public space, chaotic home environments, high crime. We can deal with these issues, we can mend our broken society'

Cameron's victory speech on getting the leadership 6/12/05 - the same one where he said 'there is such a thing as society, it's just not the same thing as the state'.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2005/dec/06/toryleadership2005.conser...

Cameron has just had a bombshell dropped. 'Scousers are not thick and they care about people'.
You are not welcome up here Cameron.
Absolutely brilliant that Joe Anderson has shown him the red card! Hope the other 3 councils follow suit and show him where he can stick his underhanded scheme to destroy everything that ordinary people cherish.

Ah but Bobby, you're overlooking a few things. The state won't shrink in the way everyone thinks because of these cuts - it will shrink in terms of availability of services. But on the money side, oh no.

What will emerge is a load of private sector companies who will screw us even further by drawing vast fortunes for essentially delivering a grossly inefficient service where targets are all - but results are minimal.

There's a whole army of big society chiefs ready to capitalize and mop up- they'll all be round at Cameron's on another one of his champagne receptions. It's all a con - a mighty transparent one - those in the know can see what's happening a mile off.

Where it'll all go wrong for Cameron fool is growth - or should I say the total lack of it. Mark my words, this is what's on the cards.

Cameron deliberately set out to humiliate Liverpool with his "Big Society" insult and then grind the heel of his boot in its face.
Joe Anderson, decent and enormously respected as he is, was prepared to try and make it work.
The tories demanded the impossible- Cameron and the naive(?)Phil Redmond have only themselves to blame.

Reggie ol boy: Glad you liked the story, bet it's not too removed from reality though!

Ang: Yes old Dame Whatshername, not too chuffed with our David. Nor are Bristol City Council - who've written to Ken Clarke about pulling the plug on us hard working Legal Aid workers.

I can't help but think (hope) that the Localism Bill is another of Cameron's plans which will seriously backfire in his face. What seems strange that in determining cuts to Local Government, it's all a bit selective. Handy to cut off funding to those Councils whose electorate may be Labour or close run Liberals - thus making them unpopular. Of course it's the Council and the area MP who gets the blame for (a) imposing the cuts locally (b) doing nothing to oppose.

Is this another way of mopping up the Tory vote I ask myself - especially given how the Liberals are likely to fall off the cliff edge sooner rather than later.

That said; like someone said earlier - I never believed in the Big Society anyway. It's left those in the voluntary sector furious. Thankfully there are a lot of die-hard Tories in the sector - the more lost votes the better!

'Breaking news' even!