As we edge closer to a new Conservative Government, Richard Stay considers what efficiency will look like if the Opposition comes to power
Few people are expecting anything other than a change of government in 2010. So what will the Tory localism Green Paper Control Shift: Returning power to local communities add to local government’s sum of knowledge?
At first glance, there is much to applaud in the Green Paper, and a great deal which is common ground across the political spectrum.
The direction of travel is absolutely right. Let’s just hope the Green Paper turns into a set of firm policy commitments, and does not get watered down by bean counters and policy wonks as we get closer to an election.
Efficient local government equals strong local leadership – no more elected mayors, please – which requires both power and influence to make a visible difference – neither of which it has today, and is why many people do not bother to vote.
The electorate need to believe that their councillors can make decisions, and are not toothless lackeys of Whitehall waiting for the next directive from ministers.
But strong leadership does necessarily equate to directly-elected mayors, a function which many people remain deeply unconvinced about.
Radical decentralisation is a commitment which should be applauded.
Britain during the days of Empire had fewer civil servants than, say, Birmingham City Council has today, and now Whitehall employs squillions of contractors and civil servants who largely do what local government used to do.
If an incoming Conservative Government can not only reverse that trend but devolve power to local government, hallelujah, says I, because we can then make a step change in the way local government delivers services which will enable us to make local choices around taxation, and invest in what matters to people locally.
The inability of local government to fully understand and influence the total public sector spend in any meaningful way is a huge frustration, and one which has to be tackled – in this climate, the ability to act to help our local economies is now critical.
Several proposals from the Green Paper suggest progress will be made, including:
l acknowledging a general power of competence, ie, local government can do what it thinks right, unless it is specifically bared by statute
l giving council leaders a wider community leadership role
l abolishing process-led inspection regimes, ie, CAA
l enabling councils to influence how all public bodies spend locally
l abolishing pointless and overlapping regional bodies.
But there are, perhaps, several things missing from the Green Paper which could obviously help local government.
So here are a few challenges to the Tory front bench:
l education – little mention of this in the Green Paper, but it remains the largest area of spend in local government, and is driven by diktat from the Department for Children, Schools and Families – local government has little influence on outcomes and is largely just a clearing house for funding?
l revenues and benefits – few options proposed in this area – why not put it with its natural partner, the Department for Work and Pensions, and remove the duplication?
l RDA’s will be stripped of any meaningful role – so why keep them?
l what powers will local government have to make departments such as the Department of Health come to the table and talk turkey joint commissioning and shared outcomes?
l when will Whitehall really get to grips with its own colossal inefficiency which would release resources for local priorities?
l because a large proportion of public spend is on people, greater efficiency inevitably means fewer jobs. In the current climate, will this become an electoral issue in parts of the country?
More efficient local government will come from less red tape, fewer layers of bureaucracy, the abolition of process-driven targets, promoting the transformation of services, and providing greater freedoms to reflect local priorities. The Green Paper is on the right lines, it could be more radical, but it has the potential to put in place the building blocks for improved efficiency.
Efficiency is intrinsic to strong leadership, and is linked to the ability to influence service delivery and the ability to provide effective and visible community leadership.
Richard Stay is chairman of Improvement East RIEP, an LGA improvement board member, and deputy leader of Bedfordshire CC
At first glance, there is much to applaud in the Green Paper, and a great deal which is common ground across the political spectrum.
The direction of travel is absolutely right. Let’s just hope the Green Paper turns into a set of firm policy commitments, and does not get watered down by bean counters and policy wonks as we get closer to an election.
Efficient local government equals strong local leadership – no more elected mayors, please – which requires both power and influence to make a visible difference – neither of which it has today, and is why many people do not bother to vote.
The electorate need to believe that their councillors can make decisions, and are not toothless lackeys of Whitehall waiting for the next directive from ministers.
But strong leadership does necessarily equate to directly-elected mayors, a function which many people remain deeply unconvinced about.
Radical decentralisation is a commitment which should be applauded.
Britain during the days of Empire had fewer civil servants than, say, Birmingham City Council has today, and now Whitehall employs squillions of contractors and civil servants who largely do what local government used to do.
If an incoming Conservative Government can not only reverse that trend but devolve power to local government, hallelujah, says I, because we can then make a step change in the way local government delivers services which will enable us to make local choices around taxation, and invest in what matters to people locally.
The inability of local government to fully understand and influence the total public sector spend in any meaningful way is a huge frustration, and one which has to be tackled – in this climate, the ability to act to help our local economies is now critical.
Several proposals from the Green Paper suggest progress will be made, including:
l acknowledging a general power of competence, ie, local government can do what it thinks right, unless it is specifically bared by statute
l giving council leaders a wider community leadership role
l abolishing process-led inspection regimes, ie, CAA
l enabling councils to influence how all public bodies spend locally
l abolishing pointless and overlapping regional bodies.
But there are, perhaps, several things missing from the Green Paper which could obviously help local government.
So here are a few challenges to the Tory front bench:
l education – little mention of this in the Green Paper, but it remains the largest area of spend in local government, and is driven by diktat from the Department for Children, Schools and Families – local government has little influence on outcomes and is largely just a clearing house for funding?
l revenues and benefits – few options proposed in this area – why not put it with its natural partner, the Department for Work and Pensions, and remove the duplication?
l RDA’s will be stripped of any meaningful role – so why keep them?
l what powers will local government have to make departments such as the Department of Health come to the table and talk turkey joint commissioning and shared outcomes?
l when will Whitehall really get to grips with its own colossal inefficiency which would release resources for local priorities?
l because a large proportion of public spend is on people, greater efficiency inevitably means fewer jobs. In the current climate, will this become an electoral issue in parts of the country?
More efficient local government will come from less red tape, fewer layers of bureaucracy, the abolition of process-driven targets, promoting the transformation of services, and providing greater freedoms to reflect local priorities. The Green Paper is on the right lines, it could be more radical, but it has the potential to put in place the building blocks for improved efficiency.
Efficiency is intrinsic to strong leadership, and is linked to the ability to influence service delivery and the ability to provide effective and visible community leadership.
Richard Stay is chairman of Improvement East RIEP, an LGA improvement board member, and deputy leader of Bedfordshire CC
