Prime Minister Tony Blair, in the foreword to the local government White Paper, writes: ‘The best local authorities have done a fantastic job'. And, although councils need to do more, the prime minister is correct. The question now is, Does the White Paper give councils the tools to build on this success?

In May, the LGA published Closer to people and places, calling for a switch of powers from central government to councils and beyond, to local people, through decentralisation, deregulation and devolution. The Government's proposals, published last week, took some useful steps to deliver on the first two but fell short on the last. So, first, the good news. The Government has listened to our views about the need to bolster local political leadership and democratic representation, by enhancing the role of leaders and councillors and strengthening the role of scrutiny.