The MJ met with Cllr David Hodge, the new chairman of the County Councils Network (CCN) immediately after the annual general meeting, which has begun his tenure.

As leader of Surrey CC, the county he leads is home to the constituencies of many leading Conservative MPs.

Perhaps because he leads arguably the most economically and politically significant among the home counties, Cllr Hodge sees no difference from his authority and that of the 11 members of parliament with Surrey constituencies.

‘We too are responsible for our people.  We have to fight. We have to ask the questions.  When we shrink from that, we lose our moral argument.'

Cllr Hodge's pugnacious attitude belies real concerns about how to position county councils into the national debate on driving economic growth.

While the Core Cities have secured deals guaranteeing local freedoms to boost development and district councils have garnered attention, through weight of numbers and political positioning within the Local Government Association, counties have been happy to act behind the scenes, not making their collective voice heard.

Until now.  A councillor for 21 years, David Hodge grew up in a Dublin orphanage, and served in the army for 20 years.  He curtailed his City career to care for his children upon the death of his wife.

These life experiences have given him a unique understanding of the major roles played by county councils and the importance of showing genuine care.

From this strong moral basis, Cllr Hodge says he is prepared to have challenging conversations with the Government in the run-up to the May 2015 general election about the greater economic role sought by counties.

But not without some degree of trepidation.  ‘It's almost like a springboard overlooking a 10-metre pool, ready to take off.

As chairman, he feels he has been given a mandate to start a conversation with cities minister Greg Clark, the DCLG and every other department.

‘I will knock doors even if my knuckles get damaged from knocking, and knocking and knocking,' he says as an expression of his tenacity and intent in getting equal treatment.

Although the CCN appears to have come late to the table, Cllr Hodge is concerned that counties have to show how they can help the Government with new ideas to improve the lives of people in communities.

‘We need to do less whinge,' he adds.  ‘What we need to do is offer solutions to government and come up with the big ideas to help young people into employment.'

He admits this would involve counties being prepared to change, to be different and take responsibility; confident they could deliver quality services for less cost.

But his passion on behalf of counties is evident.  When hearing deputy prime minister Nick Clegg extol the City Deals or youth development programmes, he confesses to becoming angered for the 23 million residents living in county areas.

‘Why are they not having those same opportunities?' he questions.  Chancellor George Osborne was very clear in talking about public service reform, about linking growth with fairness, he comments.

‘But, we're not all in it together,' he thunders, echoing George Osborne's reworking of the High School Musical theme.

He is equally scathing about the disappointing £2bn size of the single local growth fund pot. 

‘I think Heseltine had some very good ideas, but he didn't say take the money off local government' he says, with reference to the £400m New Homes Bonus clawback.

‘Heseltine was right when he said we should be taking this money from the central departments.  I can't understand why that hasn't been driven by George Osborne.'

To his thinking, just under half (46%) of the population, some 23 million people not living in predominantly urban areas are being discriminated against.

‘Unless you're part of the team, unless you're at the table, you cannot get into the
game.  ‘I sometimes think that our coach, the prime minister, has been quite happy to
leave the counties on the subs bench.'

When questioned about the relationship counties should develop with districts in two-tier areas, Cllr Hodge expands on the sporting metaphor.

‘We went to get onto the field of play.  We want to work together.'

What matters most is how individual councillors and officers work together to transform services, and embrace partnership with the wider public sector – the NHS, the Department for Work and Pensions and the blue light services.

As a council leader, he is keen to stress the unrecognised role played by ‘some really hugely talented and committed people at officer level'.

Within Surrey, he is keen to break the mould through the SHIFT programme, which gets staff from different departments to collaborate and transform service delivery.

As the leader of a strategic provider of public services, he wants the Government to give him the keys to the handcuffs shackling him from doing what should be done for the benefit of residents.

This is especially the case when it comes to increased demand on school places and care services, where on a business level, unit costs have to be driven down.

To accomplish this, Cllr Hodge wants freedom to set council tax levels for Surrey without the constraints of an unsustainable and costly local referendum.

He points out that the same ballot boxes are used for both local and national elections.

‘If MPs can be elected on that system, then we in local government should be trusted that every four years, we are held accountable by local people.

He has a terrible sense that localism has been strangled in a big bear hug and will never be let out again.  But, he is a man driven by an immense sense of responsibility and by the role the CCN has to play for the 23 million people it represents.

‘It's not about making friends. It's about putting the case for our residents.  We want to be part of that decision- making process.'