Two third sector leaders, Martin Sime of SCVO and  Bill Howat of VDS have lambasted the UK government’s Big Society concept, classing it as “toxic” and claiming it carries “too many negative connotations” for Scots. Other papers from the October conference on ‘The Big Society in Scotland: Public services, mutual models and the third sector’ are available as follows: Andrew Sim; Campbell McDonald; David Martin; Richard Kerley; Stephen Phillips; Steve Moore