British PM David Cameron launches vision for 'big society'

Liverpool - David Cameron, Britain's Prime Minister, has announced the creation of a "big society bank." This would allow groups to run post offices, libraries, and transport services.

Pledging to redistribute power from 'elites' and Whitehall Britain's Prime Minister told an audience in Liverpool that this would be the "biggest, most dramatic redistribution of power" from the state to individuals. The scheme involves the state offering support to community backed projects using funds from the 'Big Society Bank' which will draw its money from bank accounts which have been dormant for 15 years and whose owners cannot be traced. Initially, the project will fund projects in four 'community action zones' in Liverpool, Eden Valley in Cumbria, Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire and the London Borough of Sutton. Each area will get its own organiser and team of civil servants dedicated to helping the community take control of projects like running post offices, libraries, transport services and shape housing projects. However, critics of the scheme say its a smokescreen for wider cutbacks: Dave Prentis, general secretary of the union Unison, said:

"Cameron's big society should be renamed the big cop-out. Make no mistake, this plan is all about saving money, and it will cost even more jobs and lead to more service cuts. The Government is simply washing its hands of providing decent public services and using volunteers as a cut-price alternative."

Charities, also set to be one of the beneficiaries of the scheme are also less than convinced. Stephen Bubb, head of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, told the Financial Times:

“Public spending cuts (both national and local) are already seeing charities hit hard, and greater devolution to local authorities may well mean councils seeing voluntary organisations as easy targets for cuts, rather than as allies in building a big society.”