At a recent meeting of my local Labour party there was a discussion about the merits of the ‘big society’. Some in the room argued that what David Cameron was claiming as a new Conservative position was actually the old Labour and cooperative tradition of mutualism and civic society – but given a blue rinse.

Yet the problem with the Conservatives’ approach to the ‘big society’ is that far from supporting society it is actually seeking to cut many of the services that provide the cornerstone of communities. The Tory ‘big society’ is being used as a fig leaf for dismantling the public sector, reducing government responsibility and above all saving money. Take library services as an example – across the country councils are being forced by the savage budget cuts to slash opening times, and are calling on the public to work as volunteers to keep small town libraries open. These are not changes being brought about by a philosophical endeavour to improve community involvement in civic life but by the need to save money.

Public services are the corner stone of our society and deliver enormous value to each and every citizen, be that libraries, the arts, police or social services – and a Labour vision of the Good society must reflect that these services require professional staff and are not sustainable if delivered by a limited number of volunteers.

Volunteers can and do make an important contribution to many organisations – on Boards of Trustees, working in charity shops or helping out with fundraising – but this is very different to actually delivering the daily services many rely upon. A pre-school may have volunteers providing the management committee but the childcare workers are trained professionals who require payment, and if council funding for nursery places is cut, then the service becomes unviable. Well-meaning, honest, decent individuals can offer a much-needed helping hand to someone in need but that is not the same as the services delivered day in and day out by professionals working with at-risk children or vulnerable adults.

Ed Miliband has begun to speak about the good society and he is on the right track. A Labour vision of what makes a good society must respect and support the professionals who work in libraries, daycare centres, the arts and a whole number of other organisations that form the cornerstone of our communities. Without these services and institutions community life will become a barren place to live and work.