The Conservative Manifesto was the first major public outing for the 'Big Society' set of concepts. We've done some reading and thinking about the concept in recent months, for example in relation to the 'Making Good Society' report from the Carnegie Trust's Commission of Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society, of which no doubt more in our blogs later. In the meantime we have found these two commentators useful, albeit from different political traditions:-

Firstly, Matthew Taylor's Blog here (one of several relevant entries), and secondly at Respublica are several articles and relevant blogs (Click Here).

This work links with the American influenced thinking about the value of 'association' (cf Peter Block's book on Community), which we have known for a little while.  Interesting and thought-provoking stuff, whatever your political persuasion and whatever you made of the role of 'Big Society' in the election (and its immediate aftermath).