Comments on: Devolving upwards http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2005/12/09/devolving-upwards/ Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:07:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7-RC1 hourly 1 By: Chris Black http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2005/12/09/devolving-upwards/comment-page-1/#comment-1305 Chris Black Mon, 26 Dec 2005 10:11:07 +0000 http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/?p=488#comment-1305 Well said Paul Well said Paul

]]> By: www.paulleake.org.uk » Blog Archive » Local Government (refreshing the parts other government doesn’t reach) http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2005/12/09/devolving-upwards/comment-page-1/#comment-1298 www.paulleake.org.uk » Blog Archive » Local Government (refreshing the parts other government doesn’t reach) Sat, 24 Dec 2005 01:43:28 +0000 http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/?p=488#comment-1298 [...] Having just returned from Lincoln, Simon Titley’s examination of the emasculation of local government there seems quite timely. Titley is quite right about local government consistently losing powers - whether through nationalisation or privatisation. Earlier this year I read Tristram Hunt’s Building Jerusalem, a book describing how municipal government had created the grand cities of industrial England. Earlier this week I was sat at a carol concert in St George’s Hall in Bradford, a building erected as a sign of civic pride (specifically, trying to show Bradford was as great a city as Leeds). Today, only a few exceptional large metropolitan councils can make such a difference (and usually there through using a persuading influence rather than any legal power). London of course, is a special exception having a high-profile Mayor in Ken Livingstone, who does have the influence to knock heads together (although as Will Howells points out he wants to take more power from the Boroughs). All the main political parties keep saying they believe in a ‘new localism’, but few seem willing to accept that this will mean different councils choosing to deliver different services and being held accountable for those decisions (something the Whitehall target-setters and sensationalist opposition politicians who should know better seem unwilling to accept). The new year promises another round of council tax capping rather than introducing annual elections so the local electorate can do the ‘capping’ themselves, and a schools reform that will massively change the role of elected Local Education Authorities. We’re going to be treated to opposition politicians complaining that the residents of one town have poorer services than those of another (but conveniently forgetting to mention their lower taxes) or hopping on any passing bandwagon and demanding that ‘Something Must Be Done’ by the national government where those decisions should be made locally (at least according to those politicians professed beliefs). Call me cynical, but I’m yet to be convinced that our politicians can deliver stronger local government, and they probably won’t be as long as we, the public, blame the national government every time a council fails. To get back to the Victorians, the good burghers of Lincoln, Newcastle or Sunderland would have never thought of blaming Messrs. Gladstone or Disraeli for the state of their cities - they knew that their councils had the power to make a difference, and with that power came with responsibility. Local government can be returned to its ‘glory days’ but only with real leadership from national and local politicians. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.   [link] [...] [...] Having just returned from Lincoln, Simon Titley’s examination of the emasculation of local government there seems quite timely. Titley is quite right about local government consistently losing powers - whether through nationalisation or privatisation. Earlier this year I read Tristram Hunt’s Building Jerusalem, a book describing how municipal government had created the grand cities of industrial England. Earlier this week I was sat at a carol concert in St George’s Hall in Bradford, a building erected as a sign of civic pride (specifically, trying to show Bradford was as great a city as Leeds). Today, only a few exceptional large metropolitan councils can make such a difference (and usually there through using a persuading influence rather than any legal power). London of course, is a special exception having a high-profile Mayor in Ken Livingstone, who does have the influence to knock heads together (although as Will Howells points out he wants to take more power from the Boroughs). All the main political parties keep saying they believe in a ‘new localism’, but few seem willing to accept that this will mean different councils choosing to deliver different services and being held accountable for those decisions (something the Whitehall target-setters and sensationalist opposition politicians who should know better seem unwilling to accept). The new year promises another round of council tax capping rather than introducing annual elections so the local electorate can do the ‘capping’ themselves, and a schools reform that will massively change the role of elected Local Education Authorities. We’re going to be treated to opposition politicians complaining that the residents of one town have poorer services than those of another (but conveniently forgetting to mention their lower taxes) or hopping on any passing bandwagon and demanding that ‘Something Must Be Done’ by the national government where those decisions should be made locally (at least according to those politicians professed beliefs). Call me cynical, but I’m yet to be convinced that our politicians can deliver stronger local government, and they probably won’t be as long as we, the public, blame the national government every time a council fails. To get back to the Victorians, the good burghers of Lincoln, Newcastle or Sunderland would have never thought of blaming Messrs. Gladstone or Disraeli for the state of their cities - they knew that their councils had the power to make a difference, and with that power came with responsibility. Local government can be returned to its ‘glory days’ but only with real leadership from national and local politicians. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.   [link] [...]

]]> By: david http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2005/12/09/devolving-upwards/comment-page-1/#comment-1249 david Tue, 13 Dec 2005 16:48:51 +0000 http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/?p=488#comment-1249 its not pointless if you are opposed to the war, or tuition fees or want to see taxation shifted from income to unsustainale consumption.shut up polly! its not pointless if you are opposed to the war, or tuition fees or want to see taxation shifted from income to unsustainale consumption.shut up polly!

]]> By: Brian http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2005/12/09/devolving-upwards/comment-page-1/#comment-1246 Brian Tue, 13 Dec 2005 13:20:42 +0000 http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/?p=488#comment-1246 Today (13/12) Polly says "That pointless rift between Labour and the LibDems needs to be fixed". Those'll be the same LibDems she was slagging off last week... Today (13/12) Polly says “That pointless rift between Labour and the LibDems needs to be fixed”. Those’ll be the same LibDems she was slagging off last week…

]]> By: david http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2005/12/09/devolving-upwards/comment-page-1/#comment-1233 david Sat, 10 Dec 2005 01:05:31 +0000 http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/?p=488#comment-1233 I have now read the article and am even more angry than when my objection was ill informed... She doesn't mention that shes a resident of the estate she mentions. I'm sure we'd all like a full page in a national newspaper to vent our spleen about neighbourhood issues. yes a full page in the daily mail about my unreliable bin service... I have now read the article and am even more angry than when my objection was ill informed…

She doesn’t mention that shes a resident of the estate she mentions. I’m sure we’d all like a full page in a national newspaper to vent our spleen about neighbourhood issues. yes a full page in the daily mail about my unreliable bin service…

]]> By: Sarah http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2005/12/09/devolving-upwards/comment-page-1/#comment-1226 Sarah Fri, 09 Dec 2005 16:38:02 +0000 http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/?p=488#comment-1226 Sorry, I know this isn't related as such, but every time I read anything about Ken Livingstone, in my head Kate Bush is singing her song from the Comic Strip film "GLC"... #"Ken is the man that we all need... Ken is the leader of the GLC"# I'll get my coat. Sorry, I know this isn’t related as such, but every time I read anything about Ken Livingstone, in my head Kate Bush is singing her song from the Comic Strip film “GLC”…

#”Ken is the man that we all need… Ken is the leader of the GLC”#

I’ll get my coat.

]]> By: James Graham http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2005/12/09/devolving-upwards/comment-page-1/#comment-1223 James Graham Fri, 09 Dec 2005 15:45:30 +0000 http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/?p=488#comment-1223 Indeed. Furthermore, her argument should surely lead her to conclude that instead of "tin-pot dictators" we should have elected borough Mayors (as indeed we already have in Lewisham, Hackney and Newham). Yet, strangely, she concludes that the only solution is to devolve up to Ken. Indeed. Furthermore, her argument should surely lead her to conclude that instead of “tin-pot dictators” we should have elected borough Mayors (as indeed we already have in Lewisham, Hackney and Newham). Yet, strangely, she concludes that the only solution is to devolve up to Ken.

]]> By: david http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/2005/12/09/devolving-upwards/comment-page-1/#comment-1222 david Fri, 09 Dec 2005 15:43:33 +0000 http://www.willhowells.org.uk/blog/?p=488#comment-1222 And that she wrote that article slagging off Narnia. The bitch. And that she wrote that article slagging off Narnia. The bitch.

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