As the Conservatives gather in Birmingham for their party conference, Heather Jameson considers the party leadership’s policy towards local government
If a week is a long time in politics, what a difference a year makes.
Just over 12 months ago, Gordon Brown took up the reins of government, the media was rejoicing in the new, so-called spin-free era, and Mr Brown’s apparent no-nonsense persona – this was the days before he was labelled ‘dour’ – made Tory leader, David Cameron, look rather plastic and shiny by comparison.
At last year’s Labour conference, the new PM was riding high on the so-called ‘Brown bounce’, only to fall back to the ground with a resounding thud the following week when the Conservative Party gathered for their annual conference.
Ever since, Mr Brown has been dour, the Government has been getting increasingly unpopular, and the Tories have been starting their countdown – not just to ‘Brown’s big apology’ but to the fall of the Labour Government.
The seismic shift which took place has changed the face of politics for the last year – but, as yet, we are still unclear what that will mean for local government. The Tories have remained remarkably tight-lipped on policy.
As one Tory local government insider put it: ‘The risk is that the party leaders are just sitting back and watching Labour implode. But there are no signs of any real policy going on.’
After the first few years in opposition, when the Tories were unclear what they should be doing, it seems they have finally become really good at being in opposition and attacking the current government.
Only now, the trick is to prove that there is a Government in waiting, with plans for the future of the country.
A Tory policy Green Paper on local government is imminent – expected next month – so it is likely the party has some plans, but none of them are set in stone.
So, the conference in Birmingham may well be the last chance for many local government Tories to have a final influence on the direction of policy for their patch in the future.
There are some senior members of the party who seem to understand localism. Shadow education secretary, Michael Gove, and party chairman, Francis Maude, may both be localists. But shadow chancellor, George Osbourne, is definitely not in their ranks. Perhaps most interesting of all is the leader, David Cameron. As the local government insider puts it: ‘Mr Cameron is a blank slate, and he is willing to listen.’
So councillors have everything to play for when they assemble in Birmingham.
And there are some big players. There are some fantastic examples of innovation going on in Conservative councils, right now. In Kent, the council is pulling together with other partners to buy fuel futures.
Hammersmith and Fulham LBC is working hard to cut its council tax – and making sure residents know. Essex CC just launched the country’s first council-run post office – and is trying to find a way to pilot sliding scale council tax. So, the party has great examples of good practice to draw policy from. Westminster City Council – for years a flagship borough for the party – has perhaps gone a little quiet on the national scene with the departure of Sir Simon Milton, but in his new role as deputy mayor of London, he is more influential and in a position to raise local government up the political agenda.
His successor at the LGA, chair, Margaret Eaton, will, no doubt be busy at conference. It remains to be seen if she will be as influential as her predecessor. It is also unclear where her loyalties will truly lie – with the party, or with local government.
The combination of these two factors could have a massive influence on the shape of local government under a Conservative Government – whether we shift to a devolved system of localism, or suffer from controlling centralism.
While the Tories have remained tight-lipped on local government policy, there have been a few indications of the direction they are going in – most notably in Mr Cameron’s speech to the LGA conference in Bournemouth in July.
He pledged to scrap the Standards Board and regional assemblies – although the future of RDAs will be decided in a policy paper, due before the end of the year. He backed more city mayors but warned that the ‘cupboard is bare’ on funding.
He also said there would be no review of the balance of funding, and backed the council tax, insisting its only problem was that the tax was too high. He muttered about the possibility of a local government Bill but gave the impression it was hardly a priority. On education, however, he was much more radical, backing Sir Simon’s earlier call for more private sector involvement in state schools.
Mr Cameron also called for less inspection, and vowed not to re-open the unitary debate – presumably an issue he knows would be unpopular with the shire district foot soldiers of the party. But it all comes at a price for, in return, he called for councils to devolve more down to their local communities.
So, we must sit back and wait for the party’s policy paper, but for now, the local government landscape doesn’t look too different from where we are under the existing CLG team.
But, if last year is anything to go by, the party conference season could be the start of a huge shift in the political landscape.
Just over 12 months ago, Gordon Brown took up the reins of government, the media was rejoicing in the new, so-called spin-free era, and Mr Brown’s apparent no-nonsense persona – this was the days before he was labelled ‘dour’ – made Tory leader, David Cameron, look rather plastic and shiny by comparison.
At last year’s Labour conference, the new PM was riding high on the so-called ‘Brown bounce’, only to fall back to the ground with a resounding thud the following week when the Conservative Party gathered for their annual conference.
Ever since, Mr Brown has been dour, the Government has been getting increasingly unpopular, and the Tories have been starting their countdown – not just to ‘Brown’s big apology’ but to the fall of the Labour Government.
The seismic shift which took place has changed the face of politics for the last year – but, as yet, we are still unclear what that will mean for local government. The Tories have remained remarkably tight-lipped on policy.
As one Tory local government insider put it: ‘The risk is that the party leaders are just sitting back and watching Labour implode. But there are no signs of any real policy going on.’
After the first few years in opposition, when the Tories were unclear what they should be doing, it seems they have finally become really good at being in opposition and attacking the current government.
Only now, the trick is to prove that there is a Government in waiting, with plans for the future of the country.
A Tory policy Green Paper on local government is imminent – expected next month – so it is likely the party has some plans, but none of them are set in stone.
So, the conference in Birmingham may well be the last chance for many local government Tories to have a final influence on the direction of policy for their patch in the future.
There are some senior members of the party who seem to understand localism. Shadow education secretary, Michael Gove, and party chairman, Francis Maude, may both be localists. But shadow chancellor, George Osbourne, is definitely not in their ranks. Perhaps most interesting of all is the leader, David Cameron. As the local government insider puts it: ‘Mr Cameron is a blank slate, and he is willing to listen.’
So councillors have everything to play for when they assemble in Birmingham.
And there are some big players. There are some fantastic examples of innovation going on in Conservative councils, right now. In Kent, the council is pulling together with other partners to buy fuel futures.
Hammersmith and Fulham LBC is working hard to cut its council tax – and making sure residents know. Essex CC just launched the country’s first council-run post office – and is trying to find a way to pilot sliding scale council tax. So, the party has great examples of good practice to draw policy from. Westminster City Council – for years a flagship borough for the party – has perhaps gone a little quiet on the national scene with the departure of Sir Simon Milton, but in his new role as deputy mayor of London, he is more influential and in a position to raise local government up the political agenda.
His successor at the LGA, chair, Margaret Eaton, will, no doubt be busy at conference. It remains to be seen if she will be as influential as her predecessor. It is also unclear where her loyalties will truly lie – with the party, or with local government.
The combination of these two factors could have a massive influence on the shape of local government under a Conservative Government – whether we shift to a devolved system of localism, or suffer from controlling centralism.
While the Tories have remained tight-lipped on local government policy, there have been a few indications of the direction they are going in – most notably in Mr Cameron’s speech to the LGA conference in Bournemouth in July.
He pledged to scrap the Standards Board and regional assemblies – although the future of RDAs will be decided in a policy paper, due before the end of the year. He backed more city mayors but warned that the ‘cupboard is bare’ on funding.
He also said there would be no review of the balance of funding, and backed the council tax, insisting its only problem was that the tax was too high. He muttered about the possibility of a local government Bill but gave the impression it was hardly a priority. On education, however, he was much more radical, backing Sir Simon’s earlier call for more private sector involvement in state schools.
Mr Cameron also called for less inspection, and vowed not to re-open the unitary debate – presumably an issue he knows would be unpopular with the shire district foot soldiers of the party. But it all comes at a price for, in return, he called for councils to devolve more down to their local communities.
So, we must sit back and wait for the party’s policy paper, but for now, the local government landscape doesn’t look too different from where we are under the existing CLG team.
But, if last year is anything to go by, the party conference season could be the start of a huge shift in the political landscape.
The Conservative Party has pledged:
l no more local government reorganisation
l a bonfire of the auditors, scrapping CPA or CAA
l scrapping the Standards Board
l no ‘magic pot’ of cash for local government
l a reform of the regional agenda – although the future of RDAs is still up for grabs
l support for directly-elected city mayors
l parishes should be ‘celebrated and nurtured’
l no mayor change to the local government finance system
l no more local government reorganisation
l a bonfire of the auditors, scrapping CPA or CAA
l scrapping the Standards Board
l no ‘magic pot’ of cash for local government
l a reform of the regional agenda – although the future of RDAs is still up for grabs
l support for directly-elected city mayors
l parishes should be ‘celebrated and nurtured’
l no mayor change to the local government finance system
Tory flagship authorities:
l Kent CC – looking at fuel futures to safeguard its services
l Hammersmith and Fulham LBC
l The London mayor – Boris Johnson’s victory was a victory for the whole party
l Essex CC – running post offices and looking at sliding scale council tax
l Kent CC – looking at fuel futures to safeguard its services
l Hammersmith and Fulham LBC
l The London mayor – Boris Johnson’s victory was a victory for the whole party
l Essex CC – running post offices and looking at sliding scale council tax
