Addressing the Balance of Power

This project is about how to begin to pass power from central to local government, and about how local government can begin to have a stronger voice in national politics. Over successive generations, England and Wales have become increasingly centralised, with people looking in central government to solve issues facing society. With no constitutional protection, little local financial control and little representation in parliament, we need to look at ways to address the culture problem and shift real power to local government and local people.

20 Articles

It's time to turn rhetoric into reform - [Localis In The News, May 27, 2010]

A change of government offers huge opportunities for things to be done radically differently. There have been some positive steps outlined by the coalition but there remain important challenges that the new government must address, not least the huge financial pressures that local government must get to grips with in the months ahead.

The Future of Localism - [Publications - Discussion Note, Apr 29, 2010]

This a note following a roundtable discussion hosted by Localis and Bracknell Forest Council considering the current localist foundations in the UK and how these can be built upon in the future. Paul Bettison, Leader of Bracknell Forest introduced and concluded the session, with a wide ranging discussion in between.

Key questions facing local government - [Localis In The News, Apr 20, 2010]

Our political system is in need of large-scale systemic reform. For decades successive governments have pursued an approach to policy making which has centralised power and decision making to the detriment of local people, communities, local government and public services

Making Localism Work - [Events, Feb 24, 2010]

Hosted by: Localis & Bell Pottinger. Venue: Bell Pottinger, Holborn. Date & Time: 6.00pm Wednesday 24th February. With Bob Neill MP

Hold the celebration - [Localis In The News, Oct 8, 2009]

Malcolm Prowle rightly calls for an end to ‘top-down command and control techniques’ via an empowered local government. This would enable Whitehall to harness the innovation and efficiency of town halls.

Cameron talks the local talk, but... - [Localis In The News, Sep 15, 2009]

As London goes, so goes the nation. Or so David Cameron claims in suggesting that he will take a lead in government from London's high-flying Tory councils. Does he mean it?

Tipping the Balance - [Publications - Policy Platform, Sep 2, 2009]

In this edition of Policy Platform we have articles from: Cllr Paul Bettison from Bracknell Forest Borough Council, Cllr Margaret Eaton from the Local Government Association and Neil McInroy from the Centre for Local Economic Strategies on the topic of how local government should be represented in national politics.

Give power to the people, not celebs - [Localis In The News, Jun 11, 2009]

Translating all the localism rhetoric into real devolution of powers and responsibilities, and the extension of democratic accountability, is the only route to delivering greater value for money across the public sector

Local Government Response to the Budget 2009 - [Publications - Snapshot, May 21, 2009]

Findings include - 60% of District Councils think that efficiency savings are not possible; 78% of respondents think that the Budget was bad for local government; and Only 35% think that statutory city regions are a good idea.

Finding the right level - [Localis In The News, Mar 2, 2009]

James Morris discusses the recent Conservative green paper - 'Control shift' in a comment piece published in Whitehall & Westminster World

Call for sector's status to be raised in national politics - [Localis In The News, Feb 4, 2009]

The MJ comments on our report, 'With a little help from our friends'

English councils worried by lack of representation - [Localis In The News, Feb 2, 2009]

ILM comments on our report, 'With a little help from our friends'

Guardian - Public - Pamphlets - Conservatives - [Localis In The News, Nov 1, 2008]

Localis's pamphlet Big Ideas looks at the argument from the other side of the fence, with Tory council leaders looking at how ideas such as Right to Buy 2 are helping shape Conservative thinking

Economic prosperity - [Localis In The News, Oct 1, 2008]

Localis contributes to the latest edition of the Solace magazine entitled 'Prosperity, People and Place', and argues that a radical change in the local-central funding relationship is needed if Councils are to have any lasting effect on regeneration schemes.

Local policies for local people - [Localis In The News, Sep 29, 2008]

Shadow Local Government Minister Bob Neill MP reviews Big Ideas: Building on Conservative Fundamentals published by Localis. Neill backs its call to set Councils free

Help me write a bold Conservative blueprint for local government - [Localis In The News, May 30, 2008]

Stephen Greenhalgh introduces the aims of the new Conservative Council Innovation Unit and its aim to write 'the bible' of best practice for Conservatives in local government.

The gap between rhetoric and reality - [Localis In The News, Apr 28, 2008]

James Morris writes on the relationship between central and local government and the seemingly unstoppable centralising tendency in the British system of government

Central, nervous system: Can localism help Gordon relax? - [Publications, Jan 1, 2008]

Sir Simon Milton’s inaugural speech as Chairman of the Local Government Association

Two cheers for the concordat - [Publications, Jun 1, 2007]

In our pamphlet 'Two Cheers for the Concordat' we argue that the Concordat signed between Her Majesty's Government and the LGA represents a positive step towards a constitutional settlement for local government. Overall the Concordat means that for financial and local government subsidiarity the direction of travel is 'improving'.

Big Bang Localism - [Publications, Nov 5, 2004]

A Report for Policy Exchange, sponsored by Localis highlighting the kind of radical transformations needed to save British Democracy

Related Local Government News Articles

36 Related Local Government News Articles

Demand for local voice in Whitehall efficiency group - [Local Government News, May 28, 2010]

Senior local government figures have pledged to act to avert the threat of the sector being sidelined in the debate over how the state will secure future efficiency savings.

Call to give councils greater powers - [Local Government News, Feb 8, 2010]

Councils should be given stronger powers to hold local service providers to account, the House of Commons has been told. An MP said greater scrutiny would help “drive up standards” for local people.

Leaders push for localist ‘Magna Carta’ - [Local Government News, Jan 7, 2010]

Some of the highest profile Conservative council leaders, including Hammersmith & Fulham LBC’s Stephen Greenhalgh, Westminster City Council’s Colin Barrow and Leicestershire CC’s David Parsons have been involved in drawing up what they bill as a “Magna Carta for localism

Plan to dismantle Whitehall revealed - [Local Government News, Nov 26, 2009]

Tens of thousands of civil servants may be moved out of London in a dramatic downscaling of Whitehall under Labour plans to cut public debts and instil a culture of "smarter government''.

Westminster's top 10 reform wishlist - [Local Government News, Nov 23, 2009]

Westminster City Council has called for a set of reforms to give councils powers over everything from police budgets to streetworks. Leader Colin Barrow (Con) said the council faced more than 600 new regulations and 11 pieces of primary legislation every year.

LGA names Britain's worst quangos - [Local Government News, Nov 13, 2009]

The Equalities & Human Rights Commission and transport watchdog Passenger Focus have been named amongst Britain’s worst quangos by a Local Government Association study.

Bus pass changes anger councils - [Local Government News, Nov 4, 2009]

An overhaul of the £1bn free bus pass scheme for people over 60 will leave some councils out of pocket, local authorities have warned, after the government ruled out increasing the fares subsidy.

Councils control only 5% of local spending - [Local Government News, Nov 3, 2009]

The lack of control councils have over public money spent in their area has been laid bare by new research produced by a flagship government efficiency programme.

Councils freed from bylaw hurdle - [Local Government News, Oct 27, 2009]

Councils will be freed to make or revoke byelaws without government permission, communities and local government secretary John Denham has said. Byelaws would instead to be scrutinised locally before taking effect.

LGA disappointment over assets - [Local Government News, Oct 12, 2009]

The LGA has said it is disappointed not to have been consulted over a sale of publically-owned assets to be announced by the Prime Minister. Margaret Eaton, chair of the Local Government Association, said the sell-off “could have serious ramifications for the state of (councils’) tightly managed budgets”.

Tories stand firm on localist agenda - [Local Government News, Oct 8, 2009]

Town halls will need to hold a Conservative government’s ‘feet to the fire’ to ensure it stays true to its localist pledges, the shadow minister for the Cabinet Office has admitted.

Conservatives 'must learn from councils' - [Local Government News, Sep 10, 2009]

A Conservative government will have much to learn from the way the party runs councils, shadow chancellor George Osborne is expected to say. In a speech to local authorities, he will say councils have dealt well with budget "constraints" similar to those to be faced in Downing Street.

Devolve budgets to local councils - [Local Government News, Aug 14, 2009]

Simon Jenkins and Tony Travers write: Another shadow chancellor promises to rescue the nation's finances by "a radical reform in delivering public services". A thousand heads hit the breakfast table with a clunk.

Taming the Quango state - [Local Government News, Aug 12, 2009]

We have seen, in recent years, a significant increase in the number of these bodies which, frankly, have all too often operated out of sight of the scrutinising public eye.

Power to set benefits should be devolved - [Local Government News, Aug 11, 2009]

Should the government give the green light to proposals sent, the Secretary of State would devolve to Essex CC the power to set eligibility criteria and payment rates for all working-age benefits within the county

Two-tier battle resumes - [Local Government News, Aug 6, 2009]

Civil servants are preparing a fresh assault on the two-tier system as the crisis in the public finances forces mandarins to seek savings through any possible means

Essex in bid to gain powers - [Local Government News, Aug 3, 2009]

Essex CC has officially submitted plans to use the Sustainable Communities Act to seize powers from unelected quangos. The proposals will be given to the Local Government Association which will shortlist proposals from councils nationwide and pass a shortlist of frontrunners to the communities secretary for approval.

Consultation: Strengthening Local Democracy - [Local Government News, Jul 31, 2009]

This consultation explores whether local government has the powers it needs to meet today's challenges, as part of the Government's drive to renew Britain's democracy and build trust in the political system at all levels. It sets out a range of proposals to promote democratic renewal and strengthen the power and responsibility of local government.

Roadworks delays could be cut - [Local Government News, Jul 30, 2009]

Motorists could see delays cut drastically as councils are given powers by the Department for Transport to say when roadworks are carried out. Utility companies are also being targetted in the plans.

Denham’s ‘transfer of power’ disappoints - [Local Government News, Jul 23, 2009]

Local government leaders have criticised proposals to expand councils’ scrutiny role as ‘lacking ambition’.The plans were part of a wider reform package put out for consultation on July 21 by Communities Secretary John Denham.

School quango bullying local authorities - [Local Government News, Jul 12, 2009]

The quango running the government's £55bn programme to rebuild schools has been accused of "bullying" local authorities with threats to withdraw their funding in a damning new report released ahead of an official announcement on the scheme this week.

Miliband admits devolution failure - [Local Government News, Jul 7, 2009]

Former local government minister David Miliband, giving the John Smith Memorial Lecture said that the government has not done enough to transfer powers to local government.

LGA calls for greater local control - [Local Government News, Jun 29, 2009]

The Local Government Association is calling for a major programme of reform to give voters more local control over key public services. A manifesto has been published ahead of the LGA annual conference in Harrogate this week.

Denham proposes giving councils power - [Local Government News, Jun 17, 2009]

A legally enforceable charter giving local councils powers to prevent unwarranted interference by central government is to be proposed by the communities secretary, John Denham.

Scotland 'should levy its own income tax' - [Local Government News, Jun 16, 2009]

The Scottish Parliament should be given sweeping new powers to levy income tax in an effort to make it far more accountable to its electors, a major review of devolution concluded yesterday.

Bring back local government - [Local Government News, Jun 12, 2009]

The first task for Gordon Brown and his new constitutional reform team is to put the 'local' back into government. Before Gordon Brown begins his mission to reform parliament and revive our flagging democracy he – or, rather, the people around him – should get back to basics. From where I'm sitting, democracy, at its purest level, is in crisis because it doesn't exist.

Warning over localism reforms - [Local Government News, Jun 10, 2009]

Reforms to devolve power from central government to councils and communities are doomed to fail because politicians “don’t understand localism”, a new report has argued.

LAML bid rejected by Appeal Court - [Local Government News, Jun 9, 2009]

An attempt by a group of London boroughs to club together to set up a mutual insurance company powers has been crushed by Appeal Court judges. The Court of Appeal ruled that the participation of local authorities in an insurance mutual in this manner was beyond their statutory powers.

The real cure for Britain’s political malaise - [Local Government News, Jun 2, 2009]

As long as Brown and Cameron refuse to trust communities to run their own affairs, people will rightly scorn their efforts to rebuild faith in national politics.

'Bold' devolution slowed by Westminster - [Local Government News, May 28, 2009]

Government has failed to deliver a “bold devolution” of powers to local authorities, with Whitehall and Westminster slowing moves to localism, the local government minister John Healey has admitted

Cameron plans to strengthen local government - [Local Government News, May 25, 2009]

David Cameron pledges to deliver the most dramatic redistribution of power in living memory as he attempts to deal with the concerns of voters left disgusted by the row over MPs' expenses. In a broad-ranging article in the Guardian, Cameron declares that he would trim back the powers of the prime minister and boost the role of parliament to win back public confidence.

Local government is 'lacking ambition' - [Local Government News, May 21, 2009]

An influential panel of MPs has slammed local government, labelling the sector “timid” and criticising the Local Government Association for not being pro-active enough.

Councils not impressed by the Budget - [Local Government News, May 21, 2009]

Our survey shows that 60% of District Councils think that efficiency savings are not possible; 78% of respondents think that the Budget was bad for local government; and Only 35% think that statutory city regions are a good idea.

Localis: Budget Response 2009 - [Local Government News, Apr 25, 2009]

Localis broadly welcomes the responsibility to Local Authorities recognised in the Budget, however, we think it should have gone further - placing a strategic role on Local Authorities in helping to deal with the recession and support the local economy and helping to progress a low carbon economy.

Localism: Command and control - [Local Government News, Apr 2, 2009]

Editorial piece

Bill will let councils close lap dancing clubs - [Local Government News, Dec 19, 2008]

Lap dancing clubs may be closed if they are located too near "inappropriate" sites such as schools