Conservative Party: Plans for building the Big Society launched

Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have launched their civil society programme.

The programme was launched at an event in Downing Street with community activists and leaders from around the country, where invited guests debated the new civil society programme with Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, and Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society.

The new proposals aim to create a climate that empowers local people and communities, building a big society that will "take power away from politicians and give it to people".

Click here to download the outline of the Big Society programme - including policies to give communities more power, and encouraging them to take an active role in their communities

Speaking in the Cabinet Room, Cameron said he wanted his vision of a "Big Society" of community work and social enterprise to be one of the "great legacies" of his Government.

"Today is the start of a deep and serious reform agenda to take power away from politicians and give it to people", he said.

"That's because we know instinctively that the state is often too inhuman, monolithic and clumsy to tackle our deepest social problems. We know that the best ideas come from the ground up, not the top down".

"We know that when you give people and communities more power over their lives, more power to come together and work together to make life better – great things happen."

The Government has also announced that Nat Wei, founder of Teach First, has been appointed advisor to the Government on Big Society and will be made a member of the House of Lords. He will work alongside Nick Hurd, to lead on the delivery of the programme.