David Cameron effectively relaunched his Big Society idea yesterday (Monday) amid claims that it’s too vague and little more than a cover for spending cuts.
But Welsh Conservatives are convinced it’s a good idea.
When I asked their leader in the Assembly, Nick Bourne, what his views were he said,
I agree with the thrust of the policy David Cameron is developing. It’s not just about saving money: local solutions to problems are more familiar and people trust them more. You can’t just do away with large swathes of the public sector but (the Big Society) is a more effective way of delivering a lot of policy.
I wondered if the term itself – controversial as it seems – will appear in the Welsh Conservatives’ manifesto for May’s Assembly election.
‘Yes,’ according to Nick Bourne. ‘We will use the term. The Big Society is central to our thinking because it links into devolution and localism.’
But it seems it’ll be a different version of the Big Society, more suited to Wales’ needs.
The Big Society works wherever it is. We have roots (of volunteering) already here in Wales. The Government should be there to foster that with funding. But it may well be different in Wales.
ITVAdrian 
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