As we continue to discuss devolution and the reorganisation of local government following the publication of the English Devolution White Paper, the one question councillors need to have on their minds is: how does this benefit my community?
It was a former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Tip O’Neill, who often used the phrase ‘all politics is local’.
Regardless of the different plans being submitted to government for consideration, it is vital that we retain the ‘local’ in local government, so our communities feel they’re at the heart of the political decision-making process.
The Shadow Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities team in the House of Commons, backed by the leaders of the Conservative local government family, have published their five key tests on local government reorganisation.
One of those tests focuses on accountability, and whether local people will have a greater say on the decisions that have an impact on their day-to-day lives.
When Wiltshire became a unitary council in 2009, several area committees were set up to ensure that the council could build community leadership and engagement, to bring the council closer to the doors of local people.
We should strive to use best practice from across the sector to ensure we retain the ‘local’ in local government.
“Our communities [need to] feel they’re at the heart of the political decision-making process”
The proposals in the white paper will be seen as some of the most seismic changes to local government since the original Local Government Act 1974.
On devolution, I think the Government could go much further on true devolution.
Aside from decisions on determining cattle-grid applications now ourselves, in reality the white paper details very little of what is being devolved down from Whitehall to local leaders.
Local government can be trusted to deliver with the right powers