tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262428583972703917.post5382534228375220786..comments2023-03-25T12:22:10.884+00:00Comments on Aloadofoldstodge: The REAL Crisis in Local Governmentloadofoldstodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547546574930006676noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262428583972703917.post-7497420817530984332007-02-20T20:50:00.000+00:002007-02-20T20:50:00.000+00:00First, thank you everyone for your constructive an...First, thank you everyone for your constructive and interesting comments. Let me emphasise I'm NOT trying to be party-political or partisan-political. I want to encourage some thinking and debate on all sides.<BR/><BR/>Currently, as we know, local Government is taking more and more school-related spending away from local authorities and this has had serious implications on capital funding and school maintenance.<BR/><BR/>As for the Police, most Police Authorities are now independent organisations though many use Councils for property maintenance and back office functions.<BR/><BR/>Though the recent White Paper on the structure of local Government was devoid of much in the way of original thinking, it has encouraged Counties and Districts/Boroughs to look at some different options eg: sharing of accommodation, tendering for single waste contracts and a common back-office. These could, if implemented properly, make notable savings.<BR/><BR/>That said, the central issue of a proper funding solution remains. I completely agree with Benedict that there is real poverty in the shires and especially when it comes to the provision of affordable housing. <BR/><BR/>As to my suggestion of a Local Authority Finance Commission, Andy, I would take powers from the Audit Commission and DCLOG to staff this new organisation. Its remit would be to provide an equitable and impartial re-distribution of funds to local authorities.loadofoldstodgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06547546574930006676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262428583972703917.post-46358392500828114072007-02-20T20:36:00.000+00:002007-02-20T20:36:00.000+00:00Innocent,Then we need to define exactly what are t...Innocent,<BR/><BR/>Then we need to define exactly what are the "local needs".<BR/>If education, fire and police are covered by government grant, what's left?<BR/><BR/>I'm not a local government expert, so I'm just guessing ...<BR/>-Council Housing<BR/>-Libraries<BR/>-Sports Centres<BR/>-Road Maintenance<BR/>-Rubbish Collection and recycling<BR/><BR/>... what have I missed?<BR/><BR/>We could set up a system where council housing funding is given as a function of claimants (as it is outside of local government control how many claimants there are - no responsibility without power)<BR/><BR/>- Road maintenance - a council could claim extra grant if it has an unusually large number of roads to maintain.<BR/><BR/>What else?<BR/>I'd imagine that in the poorer Local Authorities, the Council housing of claimants is one of the biggest calls upon their funds.<BR/><BR/>An independent Local Authority Finance Commission, as stodge suggests, would help in this matter (although I hesitate to recommend a new quango ...), but the raising of money should be up to the Local Authority.<BR/><BR/>As to the differences from one to the other - that's democracy. It's not comparable to the Scottish grants issue, as every LA is on the same foundation - simply voting out the current council will change matters. Scotland is on a different basis to England, as it has a Parliament with powers that are absent in English councils. If anything, discrepancies should raise turnout and involvement in local democracy.Andy Cookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14827254192797927573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262428583972703917.post-41158342050076706972007-02-20T18:59:00.000+00:002007-02-20T18:59:00.000+00:00The problem with Andy Cooke's financial remedy is ...The problem with Andy Cooke's financial remedy is that each Council's tax base bears no relationship (or possibly an inverse relationship) to local needs. Nor can I imagine any government being content that a given service should be delivered free in one county, but charged for in the next. They won't want to see the Scottish student grants brouhaha repeated <I>ad nauseam</I> - at least, if that's in the next Tory manifesto I'll be very surprised. <BR/><BR/>The basic use of local Councils is to act as whipping boys, and to get MPs off the hook. No Minister wants to take responsibility for traffic management (congestion charges and parking wardens) or child protection - so they have local Councils as scapegoats. <BR/><BR/>If the London Olympics are a success, Ministers will take the credit. If they're a shambles, the London Mayoralty will be entirely at fault. And <I>every</I> PPC in London, irrespective of Party, thinks that's the way God wants it to be. <BR/><BR/>Despite the very generous allowances, compared to a generation ago, no Party can find enough good candidates for all its safe Council seats, let alone the marginals. And virtually all Councils' senior and middle managers are victims of the Peter Principle, i.e. over-promoted. <BR/><BR/>One thing Council leaders can do is follow the example of Hackney Mayor Jules Pipe, who a few years ago told ministers he was going to put down a motion declaring himself and the Council in default of their statutory responsibilities unless they coughed up some more dosh. Ministers caved in.<BR/><BR/>And the A.L.G. could create an élite management cadre, comparable to the Civil Service fast stream, which it could employ itself and send out on placement to local Councils who had identified management weaknesses. But it won't. Councillors would sooner have the trappings of power - in truth, a petty brief authority - than do what it takes to deliver services.<BR/><BR/>And an incoming government, irrespective of colour, could look at the Canadian system, whereby increased satisfaction with local services, as measured by opinion polls, is rewarded with increased grants. But it won't - their friends might lose out...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262428583972703917.post-66273317065374064402007-02-20T14:51:00.000+00:002007-02-20T14:51:00.000+00:00Firstly if you want comments, turn off moderation ...Firstly if you want comments, turn off moderation and allow all posters. Unless your blog becomes very popular there won't be a problem.<BR/><BR/>Secondly you have hit the nail on the head, the problem is ever increasingly stingy government grants to the south east which already pays more of every other form of tax, it seems New Labour want then to pay more council tax as well.<BR/><BR/>You make some interesting points about the need for more bands. Fair enough. There is a need for some redistribution, but part of the problem is that even in the shires there are the poor and the deprived and the way this government is carving up the pie, they don't get a look in.Benedict Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382732288664789210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262428583972703917.post-18091777813622138742007-02-20T14:23:00.000+00:002007-02-20T14:23:00.000+00:00stodge,It comes down to the emasculation of local ...stodge,<BR/><BR/>It comes down to the emasculation of local government in this country. This has caused two factors:<BR/><BR/>- The council has responsibility without authority - it is accountable without having the power that should go with it.<BR/><BR/>- Local elections are seen as a popularity contest for the Parties, rather than as elections for the local government. This leads to the situations in your post.<BR/><BR/>My personal preference is for each Local Authority to be told "go raise your income". They can use property taxation, business taxation, local income taxes, consumption taxes, flat fees - whatever they want. A basic (very basic) grant from central government to cover all central government mandated expenses (police, fire, schools etc) which may be augmented as the local authority chooses. They are accountable to their electors directly, so why should "one size fits all" be imposed?.Andy Cookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14827254192797927573noreply@blogger.com