29 May 2009
By David Williams
A major speech on reforming UK politics by Conservative leader David Cameron has been praised by local government specialists for its ‘localist’ tone.
At the Open University in Milton Keynes on May 26, Cameron proposed a range of reforms aimed at decentralising power. But he also drew criticism for failing to pledge more financial freedom for councils.
Cameron said he would give councils ‘sweeping new powers’ to respond to voters’ concerns, enabling them to do ‘literally whatever they like as long as it’s legal’, giving the electorate power to force referendums on local issues while introducing democratic accountability for policing.
Andy Sawford, chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit, told Public Finance: ‘It’s great to hear a party leader make such positive noises about decentralisation.’
Pointing out that Cameron had proposed more devolved powers before he became Tory leader, Sawford added: ‘We have to give him the benefit of the doubt that he is a localist.’
However, Cameron’s idea that councils should have freedom to intervene in local services under a new ‘power of general competence’ should be matched by a new financial settlement. ‘But given the economic circumstances, whether George Osborne will be more inclined to relax borrowing rules than Alistair Darling remains to be seen,’ Sawford added.
James Hulme, New Local Government Network head of communications, applauded Cameron for starting a debate on decentralisation. But he described the plans as ‘slightly contradictory’, and backed calls for more financial independence for councils.
Hulme dismissed a pledge to publish the expense claims of all public servants earning over £150,000 as ‘little more than a wacky idea dreamt up at the last minute.’
Conservative councillor Stephen Castle, Cabinet member for economic development at Essex County Council, said that in the short term council finance should remain under central government constraint until the public finances ‘mess’ had been cleared up.
However, he could not give an example of how the proposed ‘competence’ freedoms could allow the council to do anything it has not already done. Essex has used existing powers to keep open post offices threatened with closure.
Parties face the electorate for the first time since the scandal over MPs’ expenses erupted, in local and European elections on June 4.
