Jack Airey writes on the need to reassess how we use public land
Author: Jack Airey, Localis |
The time is ripe to reconsider how we use the substantial portfolios of public land, buildings and other assets held by central and local government believes Jack Airey, Researcher at Localis?
Our conceptions of the state ? what it does, who it serves and how ? form the basis of political dialogue. This was articulated in the debate which followed George Osborne’s 2014 Autumn Statement. For the Office for Budget Responsibility and the Labour Party, the Chancellor is planning to drag us back to the 1930s. For the Chancellor’s own party, his plans are the necessary course of action to realign state spending with national economic performance.
While there is no clear answer as to which side of the argument is correct, it is clear that the role of the state is shifting towards a smaller existence whereby it seeks new methods to balance its books.