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Local Government In England - 40 Years Of Decline.
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Since 1980-2020 in the UK we have had 13 years Labour rule and 27 years of Conservative rule, which resulted in “Over the past 40 years, local government in England has been repeatedly reformed, reshaped and hollowed out. In this way, we have walked backwards into increasing centralisation of our practices of politics, policy-making and democracy."
Key findings from a new Report:
From the late 1970s onwards, there has been a considerable shift away from the model of the ‘sovereign council’ towards a more disempowered local government.
Local government reform in England has been a persistent feature over the past forty years. The ‘tools of central control’ adopted by Whitehall to achieve this have changed under different administrations, but the direction of travel has been clear and consistent, with more and more powers being chipped away from local authorities.
This erosion of local autonomy has been enacted through the more frequent resort to law courts and legalisation of central-local relations, but has also often come ‘in disguise’. The use of secondary legislation has spiralled, allowing the centre to extend further its hold on local government through the backdoor.
The financial autonomy that local government enjoyed in the past has come under increased top-down constraints. Local government is bearing the brunt of severe cuts, which it is legally obliged to implement. While imposed by the centre, it is left to local government to deal with the impacts of cuts on communities.
Local government services have been hollowed out through the increased use of outsourcing, and now local authorities have to operate within a complex, expanding web of partnerships that dilute accountability.
Reforms to leadership models within councils were meant to improve accountability. Instead, they have created new divides, and the role of the councillor has been increasingly ‘managerialised’ and ‘depoliticised’. This is generating a growing democratic deficit.
This process of centralisation on steroids has been possible because central-local relations have progressively swayed towards one side. It is central government that has allowed, and often directed, the erosion of local democracy. Over the years, a new form of central-local relations has emerged: one which is undermining previously held assumptions about local government’s role in the political system and its invaluable role in building a healthy democracy. It needs urgent reform.
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Key findings from a new Report:
From the late 1970s onwards, there has been a considerable shift away from the model of the ‘sovereign council’ towards a more disempowered local government.
Local government reform in England has been a persistent feature over the past forty years. The ‘tools of central control’ adopted by Whitehall to achieve this have changed under different administrations, but the direction of travel has been clear and consistent, with more and more powers being chipped away from local authorities.
This erosion of local autonomy has been enacted through the more frequent resort to law courts and legalisation of central-local relations, but has also often come ‘in disguise’. The use of secondary legislation has spiralled, allowing the centre to extend further its hold on local government through the backdoor.
The financial autonomy that local government enjoyed in the past has come under increased top-down constraints. Local government is bearing the brunt of severe cuts, which it is legally obliged to implement. While imposed by the centre, it is left to local government to deal with the impacts of cuts on communities.
Local government services have been hollowed out through the increased use of outsourcing, and now local authorities have to operate within a complex, expanding web of partnerships that dilute accountability.
Reforms to leadership models within councils were meant to improve accountability. Instead, they have created new divides, and the role of the councillor has been increasingly ‘managerialised’ and ‘depoliticised’. This is generating a growing democratic deficit.
This process of centralisation on steroids has been possible because central-local relations have progressively swayed towards one side. It is central government that has allowed, and often directed, the erosion of local democracy. Over the years, a new form of central-local relations has emerged: one which is undermining previously held assumptions about local government’s role in the political system and its invaluable role in building a healthy democracy. It needs urgent reform.
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//NJ @16:03 Fri 23rd Apr 2021 , when did "Scotland, Wales, N.I., Wales, London, the South East" become 'Local' as relevant to Local Councils and similar geographically limit areas ?//
I was responding to this:
//We see this in the North-South divide where the SE gets far more Government support than say Liverpool or Glasgow.//
I would assume that Liverpool gets its fair share of the North West's allocation of funds and that Glasgow gets its fair share of Scotland's allocation.
//Burghers were the rich or colonists and/or generally unelected.
Local councillors have some skin in the game and can be kicked out LOCALLY.//
Yes I'm fully aware of the meaning of "Burghers". It was a flippant remark - obviously lost.
I was responding to this:
//We see this in the North-South divide where the SE gets far more Government support than say Liverpool or Glasgow.//
I would assume that Liverpool gets its fair share of the North West's allocation of funds and that Glasgow gets its fair share of Scotland's allocation.
//Burghers were the rich or colonists and/or generally unelected.
Local councillors have some skin in the game and can be kicked out LOCALLY.//
Yes I'm fully aware of the meaning of "Burghers". It was a flippant remark - obviously lost.
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