The Gap between Discourse and Budget Reality : A Preliminary Analysis of the UK Coalition Government’ s Social Service Policy

The UK’s Coalition government announced cuts in governmental expenditure in response to the economic crisis. Behind this policy is what is called the “Big Society” concept. The critics of “Big Society” have highlighted its contradictory objectives. There is also the concern over how volunteer organizations, most of which rely upon local governments for their funding, will be able to develop new ways of service which are compatible with the “Big Society”. In this context, this paper analyzes the election manifesto, policy reports, and key figures’ speeches and attempts to understand what the “Big Society” rhetoric actually means to social service policies at the ground level. In so doing, we pay particular attention to health service and attempt to predict the likely outcomes of the policy changes.