Leaders push for localist Magna Carta
Author: Local Government Chronicle |
Local government Conservatives are making final attempts to influence their party’s election manifesto with a localism blueprint as polling day approaches.
The Control Shift green paper committed the party to localism. But, with the party still committed to policies including directly elected police commissioners, it is far from certain that devolution will be channelled through traditional local government bodies.
Many Tory councillors hope that councils can present themselves as the most efficient part of the public sector and be rewarded with greater influence over areas such as health and welfare.
Some of the highest profile Conservative council leaders, including Hammersmith & Fulham LBC’s Stephen Greenhalgh, Westminster City Council’s Colin Barrow and Leicestershire CC’s David Parsons have been involved in drawing up what they bill as a “Magna Carta for localism”.
The document, which is intended to show that local solutions are more efficient than national ones, is due to be unveiled this month.
Cllr Greenhalgh has achieved a national following among Tories after his council cut council tax by 3% for four successive years.
Through natural wastage and outsourcing, his council has cut the equivalent of 1,000 full-time posts from its direct employment.
His achievements have been seen as a blueprint for the dramatic action a future Tory government would need to take to cut public spending.
“It’s important that we have a local government contribution to the debate about localism,” said Cllr Greenhalgh. “It’s not just about reducing costs – it’s about controlling your growth. We started doing this in 2006 when it wasn’t trendy.”
But he admitted: “There are a lot of Conservative councils that don’t do this. I don’t know why they haven’t.”
Hammersmith & Fulham LBC is planning to sell surplus buildings, having reduced its need for office space by introducing practices such as hot-desking. The council’s cabinet now operates in an open-plan environment.
Colin Barrow (Con), Westminster’s leader and an adviser to shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Philip Hammond, said: “Individual councils are making the case. I think and hope that the party is listening. We’ve demonstrated over many years that we can actually deliver considerable savings.”
But, asked about the shadow cabinet endorsing extra council influence over police and health, Cllr Barrow admitted: “They still need to be won over by that.”
He added: “The leadership of the party understand localism and working with local people – it’s a question of transplanting that into real action on the ground.”