Jon questions the Coalition over their Big Society Bank

Local MP Jon Trickett has accused the government of being big on large ideas but weak on detail. Many local community groups are facing huge losses on funding becasue of government’s cut backs. The government has come up with the idea that some of their income loss might be made up by something which they call the Big Society Bank.

But there are simply no details about how the bank will operate. Furthermore the financial problems which are facing local community groups are already happening, and the consequences are being felt. Jon asked the following question in the House of Commons today to raise this issue with the Cabinet Office, which related to an independent organisation’s critical report of the Big Society Bank:

“The idea of a bank to help develop the strength of civil society is a good one. But effective government has to be a mix of big ideas and getting the detail right. In this cinnection has the minister seen the report by NESTA today which suggests that if the Big Society Bank lends on purely commercial terms “it will fail to support those which it has been set up to support.” What can he say to ensure that the lofty rhetoric of the Big Society does no now founder on the rock of inadequate administrative detail?”

March for the Alternative article

Here is a link to an article that I wrote for Tribune in response to the March for the Alternative in London on the 26th March:

http://www.tribunemagazine.co.uk/2011/04/above-all-we-need-the-courage-to-be-bold/

Jon Trickett pledges his support for Carers Week

The week from the 13- 19th June 2011 is carer’s week across the country, a time to raise awareness for the UK’s 6 million carers who provide vital care to those who need it most.

You can see Jon’s pledge online here:

http://carersweek.org/carers/does-your-mp-support-carers/item/479-hemsworth