High Peak Liberal Democrats

More power to local government

The Prime Minister's recent letter to the Leader of Oxfordshire County Council is not only hypocritical. It also displays the ignorance of so many Westminster politicians of how local councils work. One could even add the word contempt in some cases!

For over a century now central government has gradually emasculated local government whose foresight it was that gave our grandparents and great grandparents decent social housing, clean water, gas, electricity, proper sewerage, basic education and much, much more.

Time was when many national politicians, such as Joe and Neville Chamberlain, Clement Attlee, Herbert Morrison and, in more recent times, John Major and Eric Pickles, cut their teeth in local government. I wonder how many in the current cabinet came through by this route.

It's time that those of us in local government grasped the nettle of structural reform, starting by campaigning to replace the remaining County and District Councils with Unitary Authorities and replacing the Council Tax with a local tax based on land values and income. Then we could talk seriously about regaining some of powers we have lost over many years, and I don't just mean the gimmick of elected Mayors and 'powerhouses' currently going the rounds. Welcome as they are they do not really properly address the accountability issue.

Unfortunately, with the leaders of our trades union, the Local Government Association, incapable of leaving their egos at the door and speaking with one voice, the chances of this happening in the near future are slim indeed.

Yours faithfully,

Cllr John Marriott,

Lincolnshire County Council

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