David Cameron to rescue 'big society' with extra cash

David Cameron to rescue 'big society' with extra cash

David Cameron is launching a frantic bid to rescue his much-criticised plan for a "big society" as he promises to back the project with public money and new initiatives to help it survive savage government cuts and public scorn.

Writing exclusively for the Observer, the prime minister confronts his critics head on and insists that he will never abandon what he believes is the defining mission of his premiership.

Cameron says the big society is not a government initiative, but the opposite – one that will see power handed from Whitehall to the people. "It has the power to transform our country," he declares. "That is why the big society is here to stay."