It’s time to turn rhetoric into reform
Author: Tom Shakespeare, LGC |
A change of government offers huge opportunities for things to be done radically differently. There have been some positive steps outlined by the coalition but there remain important challenges that the new government must address, not least the huge financial pressures that local government must get to grips with in the months ahead.
The early commitment to hold a full review of the local government finance system is a positive step. It seems likely that this will lead to some form of localisation of business rates, the removal of ring-fenced grants and a greater use of incentives.
But further progress could be made, for example, on the creation of new financial products for local government and a step-by-step plan to address the balance of funding question.
We must continue to question whether the new government is taking us in the right direction
Tom Shakespeare, director of policy and research, Localis
The coalition is also committed to the scaling back of targets and inspection in their pre-election manifestos. Comprehensive Area Assessment will be scrapped, and many targets removed, with moves towards a general power of competence to allow councils freedom to act independently.
If this were to be combined with a full review of restrictive central government prohibitions, perhaps through the Sustainable Communities Act, then this too would be a radical step forward.
Other key areas of combined support include the breaking up of the regional spatial strategies, and probably some regional structures too; increased transparency of local government, and; a scaling back of civil liberty infringements.
However, there are some specific areas that still need to be addressed, not least the funding of adult social care. This takes up a massive proportion of local government expenditure, is likely to be politically difficult, and requires a long -term solution to be agreed. The proposed review to be completed in one year’s time will hopefully address this with sufficient rigour.
Directly elected mayors, and the role of local government in the new approach to schools are also important questions that the new coalition must address.
But in all of the talk of change, we must not lose sight of the bigger picture. We must continue to question whether the new government is taking us in the right direction. We must challenge the current understanding of efficiency, for example, and how public services can be better delivered.
The commitment of the new coalition to the ‘Big Society’ and Total Place offers an opportunity for such radical thinking. Local government must demonstrate that it is ready for this kind of change, and to echo Ghandi, it must “be the change it wants to see”. Only time will tell as to whether the pre-election rhetoric will lead to lasting reform for local government.