I am writing on behalf of local government in England to ask for the things we would like you to bring us for Christmas. I apologise for it being rather long but at the moment we feel like we are on the government, the media and the public’s naughty list.
It would be nice if, for Christmas, you could bring all our councils – whatever type they are - the following so we can get on with the job we’ve been elected to do:
- A constitutionally protected right to exist. Please stop central government being able to shape, reshape, re-organise or merge and abolish councils. Any changes in our borders, shape size, and status (unitary or two-tier) should be up to us and our local residents and voters, who should have the final say in a binding local referendum. Could you also give councils the power to disaggregate (get smaller) as well as merging.
- The centre – Westminster and Whitehall - to recognise in law, local government as an autonomous, democratically elected bodies which independently decide upon, administer and regulate the public affairs within their boundaries.
- Make the general power of competence irrevocable and also not for interpretation by different government departments in different ways.
- Please give us a statutory right to be consulted by the Government on any and all proposed legislation which will affect local government and its communities before the government introduces new legislation or regulations.
- A new ‘court of arbitration’ in which we can challenge any policy, legislative act, regulation or proposal from central government that affects local government and for the result of that arbitration to be binding on the government.
- We have heard of some of the powers councils overseas have in passing binding local laws (which are much stronger than by-laws and not overseen by central government) and that would make a very useful addition to devolution and localism.
- Devolution should be just that – powers, freedoms and autonomy being taken from the centre and given to local government; not decentralisation where we get more tasks, functions, duties, responsibilities and no money to go with them.
- As part of devolution please give local government its own Freedom of Information Act which gives councils the legal right and power to request and receive information from any public, third sector or private organisations.
- A new offence of ‘contempt of council’ for those failing to provide us with the information and data we request under 8 above.
- Some cash gifts are always nice for Christmas, or any time, but can you make councils financially independent of central government with the legal power to choose to raise tax from a range of sources to include: local income, sales and tourist taxes, for example.
- To be able to spend our money as we want and need to spend it without government control.
- An English Parliament with the same powers as the Scottish Parliament with the constitutional duty to maintain the independence, powers and freedom of English local government and protect it from the UK centre.
That will do for this Christmas. We expect to be back with another list for next Christmas. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all in Local Government.
Colin Copus is emeritus professor of local politics at De Montfort University and visiting professor at Ghent University.