The UK Experience by Malcolm Morley *
Central Government’s approach to pursuing public service improvement is based upon four key principles. These are:
- Recognition that the Government’s role is to set national standards which means working with Local Government to agree tough targets and to see performance independently monitored so that people can see how their local services compare with others.
- Recognition that local performance will only improve where responsibility and accountability is devolved to the local level.
- Recognition that more flexibility is required to enable local solutions to be developed to meet local needs.
- People should have more choice so that they have options to choose from to meet their needs.
These principles are appropriate for modern Local Government but create a challenge for both Central and Local Government. National standards that facilitate national comparison often militate against local choice and flexibility. Devolution of responsibility and accountability to the local level requires the delegation of power which frequently proves to be a challenge for Central Government.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has sought to respond to the challenges of Central Government’s four principles in a new publication.
Launched in September 2004, the new publication is titled Independence, Opportunity and Trust – A Manifesto for Local Communities. The publication seeks to put the four principles in the context of real Local Government to enable Councils to deliver service improvement, choice and empowerment for local people.
The LGA argues for:
- The transfer of key public services and agencies to local democratic control.
- Reform of local taxation.
- Streamlined inspection of services.
- An equal partnership between Central and Local Government.
- Real power closer to the people.
- Devolution of power from central government to local Councils.
- Devolution of power through Councils to local people, communities and organisations.
- Strengthening of local political leadership.
- Allowing Councils to ensure that efficiently– provided local services are tailored to individual and local needs.
- Allowing community public services to have the flexibility to meet priorities agreed with local people.
The case made by the LGA is clear. The challenge for Central Government is clear – will it devolve real power as well as responsibility to Local Government? This challenge is not one sided and also has big implications for Councils. Councils in England are diverse not just in geography and political control but in their capacity to be effective Local Government.
Key to the ability of Councils to respond positively to the independence, opportunity and trust called for by the LGA is the engagement of Councils with the communities they serve, their willingness and ability to respond to their community leadership/empowerment roles and their willingness and ability to provide real choice.
Independence, opportunity and trust are the true signs of real partnership. Partnership between Central and Local Government and between Councils and the communities they serve.
They also illustrate the passage from being a child to being an adult. Is there a parallel to be drawn?
* Malcolm Morley is Chief Executive of Harlow District Council and can be contacted via the Editor, email info@lgfocus.com.au The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of his employer.
