Methodists warn against ‘Big Society’
The 'big society' could fuel poverty and division
Britain’s Methodists have warned that David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ initiative could end up fuelling poverty and division. The coalition’s economic policies came under repeated attack during the annual Methodist Conference, held in Southport last week. ‘Not everyone will be able to join in the Big Society and benefit from its opportunities to the same degree,’ said Rachel Lampard, public issues policy advisor for the Methodist Church, ‘The Big Society could reinforce the fault lines in an already fractured Britain’.
She added that, even if the emphasis on volunteering is more than a cynical cover for cuts, it will nonetheless help to make cuts possible.
The conference agreed that Methodists should not ‘walk away’ from the issue but offer support to those affected by cuts. Their decision came within days of an attack on cuts to housing benefit by a number of Anglican bishops.
The Methodist Church reiterated their support for the ‘Close the Gap’ campaign run by Church Action on Poverty, which aims to reduce differences between the richest and poorest in Britain (see ‘Close the gap,’ the Friend, 4 February). The conference urged the government to crack down on corporate tax avoidance.
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