IT'S been a big week for our Big Society.

Downing Street chose Liverpool as the place to host David Cameron’s announcement of his coalition government's intention to hand back more control to our communities.

Three other regions were given the same trial status on the same day, but the Prime Ministerial roadshow – en route to Washington and the White House – pitched its hi-tech camp here.

And, just as last time there was a Prime Minister (albeit one of a different political persuasion) in town, our very own TV magnate and fellow LDP columnist turned one-man- think-tank Professor Phil Redmond led the meeting and greeting.

Putting aside the city’s capacity to put on a good show for the cameras, it occurred to me, listening to the Prime Minister and some of his colleagues at Hope University, that Liverpool was in many ways already its own Big Society.

Part, a big part, of what the coalition is seeking to do with its power back to the people process, is re-engage those either left behind or those frustrated who are not part of the mainstream political process.

So the question remains: Why Liverpool? Especially as, on the same day the nation voted in a result that opened the No 10 door to a Tory/Lib-Dem coalition, the city returned a Labour administration.

The city has long fostered and cultivated an entrepreneurial spirit.

Liverpool has some of the most deprived local authority wards in the UK. In these communities engagement may seem a long way off being achieved.

And yet, in other ways the journey back to inclusive Big Society transition and re-engagement has already started.

Think about the number of social enterprises successfully established and expanding here.

I’d argue that some are making more of a difference than running a community pub or even taking over a local shop – which were two of the headline-grabbing sound bites mentioned here last Monday.

And think of the scale – and achievements – of the voluntary sector in this region.

Think too of some of the innovative apprenticeship schemes rolled out recently in these parts and of the various community engagement programmes involving hundreds of students from the region’s universities.

Add it all up and Liverpool seems an obvious place to announce a Big Society.

As in so many ways throughout its history Liverpool can play a leading part in sharing success with others playing catch-up.