Just Whistle
Author: Public Finance |
For most of the past decade, localism has been the dog that rarely if ever barked. There were the occasional growls from think-tanks and pressure groups, and some yelps from hard-done-by councils.
But in the main, central government has seen off every attempt to wrest local control from Whitehall ? especially financial control.
Now though, emboldened by decentralising talk from the opposition parties, localism is off the leash, and baying for blood.
This week, the Localis think-tank launched Bold steps for radical reform, a robust attack on quangocracy by Kent County Council leader Paul Carter. Shadow local government minister Bob Neill ‘strongly endorsed’ the report’s thinking, which is being discussed at shadow Cabinet level.
Taking senior Conservative rhetoric at its word, Carter calls for devolution that goes way beyond Multi Area Agreements and Total Place.
Out would go a smorgasbord of national and regional quangos, including strategic health authorities and regional development agencies. Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, and the police inspectorate would be cut back or abolished, and the Audit Commission reduced to its core functions.
In would come 46 ‘sub-national areas’, to deal directly with Whitehall, and take on powers over health, policing and much else.
The report claims that annual savings of up to 21bn could be made this way ? an attractive prospect in straitened times.