We'll create a'good society',pledges Jowell

Ms Jowell, who is Shadow Olympics Minister, accused the coalition of “mimicking the values” of Labour in its quest to appeal to communities.

She told Labour’s annual conference yesterday that while the rhetoric of the Big Society “does echo the popular mood”, the policy behind it was flawed.

“Their big idea is to steal our language of fairness, solidarity and responsibility – and to reduce our movement’s founding values to a marketing slogan,” she said.

“Not so long ago the Tories believed that there is ‘no such thing as society, only families and individuals’.

“Now they say that society alone, through the actions of individuals, should become the sole providers of the very structure and essence of our community life.

Ms Jowell said people were not seeking “empty slogans” but a society in which they were more powerful.