David Cameron relaunches the 'Big Society'

David Cameron relaunches the 'Big Society'; Cameron speech SOT - We are developing a new test for all policies, that they should demonstrate not just how they help reduce public spending and cut regulation and bureaucracy, but how they create social value too. And, the Office for National Statistics is developing new independent measures of well-being so that by the end of the year, we will be the first developed country in the world that is able rigorously to measure progress on more than just GDP. Taken together, these may be the most quietly radical things this government is doing. These are big changes, and they all show how serious I am about building a bigger, stronger society. They also show how different our approach really is. In the past, the left focused on the state and the right focused on the market. We're harnessing that space in between - society - the "hidden wealth" of our nation. We understand that neither the pursuit of unfettered individualism, nor top down state control will achieve the results that people want to see, the jobs, opportunities for children, safer streets, a rich and rewarding life. These are things we pursue and achieve together in our families, communities and it's the job of government to take account of that reality. If at the end of our time in office, families don't feel more supported, we will have failed as a government, if people don't feel they have control over the public services they use, we will have failed as a government, if people don't feel they have a real say in how their community is run, we will have failed as a government. The idea that the centre right is simply about the philosophy of individualism, of personal and commercial freedom, is a travesty of our tradition. From Edmund Burke and Adam Smith in the 18th century, from Hegel and de Tocqueville in the 19th, to Hayek and Oakeshott in the 20th, all have been clear that individual freedom is only half the story. Tradition, community, family, faith, t...