This report from the New Local Government Network, an independent think tank, calls for a new relationship between central and local government to put the notion of “Community Leadership” at the heart of how councils operate. It recognises the difficult relationship between central and local government and addresses the major cultural change now necessary. Although central government maintains a degree of distrust, councils need to respond to the anxiety and work at the relationship by demonstrating their capacity to deliver Community Leadership. This includes engaging local communities, delivering efficient, responsive services and creating thriving communities.The report argues that local government should not just be delivering ‘for’ central government but ‘with’ it. Whitehall needs to recognise the crucial role that councils have in the social, economic and environmental well-being of an area, and display greater trust in their ability and capacity by giving them the freedom and tools to play this role. A number of immediate ways in which councils can help forge a new central-local relationship are set out. They include contributing to a policy paper to the ODPM’s current strategy plans that includes a harder edged version of Community Leadership and to the Audit Commission’s CPA 2005 consultation. They should also continue to test the limits and existing powers and work through the vehicles available to them, for example Local Area Agreements, Local Public Service Agreements, Local Strategic Partnerships, the Power of Well-Being and Public Service Boards.
This report from the New Local Government Network, an independent think tank, calls for a new relationship between central and local government to put the notion of “Community Leadership” at the heart of how councils operate. It recognises the difficult relationship between central and local government and addresses the major cultural change now necessary. Although central government maintains a degree of distrust, councils need to respond to the anxiety and work at the relationship by demonstrating their capacity to deliver Community Leadership. This includes engaging local communities, delivering efficient, responsive services and creating thriving communities.The report argues that local government should not just be delivering ‘for’ central government but ‘with’ it. Whitehall needs to recognise the crucial role that councils have in the social, economic and environmental well-being of an area, and display greater trust in their ability and capacity by giving them the freedom and tools to play this role. A number of immediate ways in which councils can help forge a new central-local relationship are set out. They include contributing to a policy paper to the ODPM’s current strategy plans that includes a harder edged version of Community Leadership and to the Audit Commission’s CPA 2005 consultation. They should also continue to test the limits and existing powers and work through the vehicles available to them, for example Local Area Agreements, Local Public Service Agreements, Local Strategic Partnerships, the Power of Well-Being and Public Service Boards.
An analysis by the GMB union of the recently published Labour Force Survey revealed that there are 4,085,000 senior public sector officials and senior private sector managers employed in Britain’s economy. That is almost 15% of all employees in Britain. This means that almost one in seven workers is now a senior official or senior manager and they have become the largest occupational group in the economy. In contrast there are 3 million people employed in skilled trades which is some 11% of the total workforce.By comparison, in 1981 there were 2,700,000 senior officials and managers, almost 12.% of the then total workforce. At this time skilled manual workers numbered 3,998,800 or nearly 18.% of the total workforce.
David Miliband, the new Minister for Communities and Local Government spent three hours yesterday with Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, Chairman of the Local Government Association, to get the town hall view of the future for local government. The LGA believes that the appointment of a second minister to the Cabinet table symbolises a historic opportunity to deliver a lasting return of power and choice to the people. The new Minister will work with the Deputy Prime Minister, to help put issues of community governance, better neighbourhoods and the funding of local government, at the top of the agenda.LGA leaders said they would lose no time in meeting other new ministers and were keen to start work on their common cause – making life better for all those in local communities. They believe that the new developments reflect how councils have worked in partnership with central government and successfully taken on new responsibilities, such as tackling anti-social behaviour, and are well-placed to deliver improved and joined up public services.