14 December 2007
Council leaders and ministers this week committed to a new relationship which moves closer to recognising central and local government as equal partners in service delivery.
A concordat, signed at the Local Government Association's general assembly on December 12, was hailed by both sides as a ground-breaking and historic agreement.
LGA chair Sir Simon Milton said: 'It makes a significant further step in freeing councils from control from the centre.'
The concordat commits central government to reducing unnecessary intervention in local affairs, stating that: 'Councils have the right to lead the delivery of public services in their area and shape its future without unnecessary intervention or control.'
In turn, local government is committed to helping central government achieve its Public Service Agreements.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said: 'Local devolution is no longer a fringe pursuit but now right at the centre of the government's agenda.'
However, there were indications that the two parties might not see eye to eye on the thorny question of local government finance.
While the LGA claimed that the concordat recognises the council tax system is inadequate because it confuses accountability and lacks transparency, the government re-stated that it firmly believed that it is an effective local tax.
In a keynote address, Milton called for more powers to be directed to local government, with council leaders given the power to appoint and dismiss NHS chief executives and police commanders. 'Every service delivered to people in their local area should be directly answerable to local people through their locally elected council,' he said.
But the NHS Confederation promptly dismissed the idea. Policy director Nigel Edwards said: 'There is little evidence of any public appetite for changing the accountability mechanisms in the NHS.
'There is, however, evidence that the public have more faith in local clinicians than in their local councillors.'
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