26 September 2003
Health Secretary John Reid has warned that the government's avowed philosophy of 'new localism' does not mean that frontline institutions will be freed from the constraints of national policy.
Reid spelled out his opposition to the push for greater local autonomy in a pamphlet written for the New Local Government Network, published on September 25.
In it, he argued that the purpose of the new localist agenda is to end 'uniformity of public service provision', thereby allowing public bodies to respond to local circumstances, not to offer 'complete autonomy' at the grassroots level.
Reid claimed the experience many politicians have gained in local government fostered false expectations.
'It encourages politicians to believe the local can and should operate completely autonomously from national government. This argument for the right to constitutional local autonomy creates real organisational and political problems,' he said.
'It strikes me as absurd to argue that localities can in any way be autonomous from national policy.'
Instead Reid argues that institutions such as foundation trusts and primary care trusts must be located squarely within a national framework controlled by the centre.
'The system must be one of local/central interdependency and claims for total autonomy will only create false and unhelpful conflict,' he added.
In a clear signal that the government is determined to face down its critics on public service reforms, Reid ended the pamphlet with a rallying cry for the modernisation agenda. 'We can preserve values and change structures. We recognised this when we got rid of the old Clause 4. We now need to get rid of the Clause 4 approach to public services.'
PFsep2003
