The Localism Bill was published. The Bill included:
• A general power of competence for local councils to take any action that did not cost money or breach an Act of Parliament.
• Greater community empowerment, including neighbourhood planning to enable communities to grant planning permission.
• New rights for communities to take over services (for example through employee-run mutuals, co-operatives, or social enterprises) or to buy community assets.
• A right for citizens to have referendums on local issues and to veto council tax rises.
• Greater financial autonomy for local government, and greater transparency.
• Replacement of the Infrastructure Planning Commission with a 'democratically accountable' system for major infrastructure spending.
• Replacement of the housing revenue account subsidy system, with councils having greater control over the allocation and tenure of social housing.
• New powers to create directly elected mayors in at least 12 cities.
The government published a guide alongside the Bill making the case for a radical shift of power from the centralized state to local communities, and described the six essential actions required to deliver decentralization down through 'every level of government to every citizen'.
Source: Localism Bill, Department for Communities and Local Government/TSO | Decentralisation and the Localism Bill: An essential guide, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Guide | Hansard | DCLG press release (1) | DCLG press release (2) | DCLG press release (3) | DCLG press release (4) | Wales Office press release | Conservative Party press release | Labour Party press release | BCC press release | BHA press release | BPF press release | Citizenship Foundation press release | CPRE press release | CSPL press release | Friends of the Earth press release | Institute for Government press release | IPPR press release | LGA press release | Living Streets press release | Localis press release | London Councils press release | Mencap press release | NEF press release | NHF press release | Patients Association press release | RIBA press release | RICS press release | RTPI press release | SEC press release | SIB press release | TCPA press release | Unite press release | Urban Forum press release | Inside Housing report | Telegraph report (1) | Telegraph report (2) | Community Care report | Charity Times report | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Dec
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales endorsed a proposed new law that was designed to broaden participation in local government, and to give community councils the flexibility to do more for their local communities.
Source: Proposed Local Government (Wales) Measure, Legislation Committee No 3/National Assembly for Wales
Links: Report | NAW press release
Date: 2010-Dec
An article examined the record of the New Labour governments (1997-2010) on local democracy. The strong emphasis on local citizen engagement and citizen empowerment only took on real meaning in the context of a vibrant and autonomous elected local government: but on this New Labour had 'fallen well short'.
Source: Hugh Atkinson, 'New Labour and local democracy since 1997: did things really get better?', Local Economy, Volume 25 Issue 5/6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Nov
An article said that structural reorganization of local government in England was an 'addictive habit' to which government ministers and civil servants were peculiarly prone. Many of the supposed benefits of structural change had not materialized, and some local authorities were still recovering from the resulting disruption.
Source: Howard Elcock, John Fenwick and Janice McMillan, 'The reorganization addiction in local government: unitary councils for England', Public Money and Management, Volume 30 Issue 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Nov
The Department for Communities and Local Government published a business plan for the period 2011-2015.
Source: Business Plan 2011-2015, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Plan | DCLG press release
Date: 2010-Nov
A think-tank report set out 'five foundations' upon which genuine localism needed to be built. It said that: localism needed to be effective and efficient; localism needed to be properly funded; localism needed to sit at the heart of a drive for social justice; greater devolution of power and responsibility to the local level needed to be accompanied by a step-change in the transparency and accountability of local decision-making; and the new drive for localism should be framed within a constitutional settlement between central and local government.
Source: Ed Cox, Five Foundations of Real Localism, Institute for Public Policy Research
Links: Report | IPPR press release | Public Finance report
Date: 2010-Nov
A report reviewed steps taken by the coalition government to rebalance the public finances – in particular by promoting a significant 'de-layering' of the public sector, with many more decisions taken locally; and by maximizing economies through more effective collaboration between public bodies.
Source: Rebalancing the Public Finances: The end of the beginning..., Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers
Links: Report | SOLACE press release
Date: 2010-Oct
A think-tank report examined ways of promoting the 'localism' agenda. Funding streams needed to be simplified and pooled within areas; early intervention programmes, where possible community-led, could deliver significant improvements in public sector outcomes; and, alongside place-based budgets, new financial products should be developed to fund local social programmes that might have long-term cost savings.
Source: Barry Maginn, Total Neighbourhood: Placing power back into the community, Localis
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Oct
A report said that local councils should be given a clear role as commissioners of education and training provision in their local areas.
Source: Local Freedom or Central Control? Why councils have an important role to play in local education, Local Government Association
Links: Report | LGA press release
Date: 2010-Jul
Local authorities said that the government's proposal to introduce directly elected individuals was not the best way to strengthen police accountability. A more efficient and cost-effective approach would be to reintegrate police accountability structures with local government.
Source: Improving Police Accountability: The LGA proposal, Local Government Association
Links: Report | LGA press release
Date: 2010-Jul
The new coalition government published an action plan designed to radically shift power from central government to local councils and communities in England. It said that the plans would replace the 'old, top-down systems of targets and central mismanagement'.
Source: Department for Communities and Local Government: Draft Structural Reform Plan, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Action plan | DCLG press release
Date: 2010-Jul
The government began consultation on the implementation of proposals (contained in its July 2010 White Paper) that would give local authorities a greater role in the running of the National Health Service in England – including a stronger role in supporting patient choice, and in promoting public health.
Source: Liberating the NHS: Local Democratic Legitimacy in Health, Department of Health
Links: Consultation document | Hansard | DH press release | NHS Employers press release | NHS Confederation press release
Date: 2010-Jul
An article examined the Labour government's agenda for local government over the period 1997-2009. Whereas the impact of the enhancement of the performance/inspection culture had been to strengthen the position of chief executives (relative to council leaders), the move to local executive government had not resulted in the shift of power from leading officers to leading members that might have been anticipated. In addition, the challenge to the unified officer structure implicit in the division between the executive and scrutiny roles had remained latent.
Source: Steve Leach, 'The Labour government's local government agenda 1997-2009: the impact on member-officer relationships', Local Government Studies, Volume 36 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Jun
A think-tank report said that structural reforms and accountability measures would not on their own restore trust in local politics. Local councils needed to move beyond mechanistic thinking about ways to 'build' trust, toward providing the opportunity and space where they could demonstrate their trustworthiness.
Source: Jonathan Birdwell, Faizal Farook and Samuel Jones, Trust in Practice, Demos
Date: 2010-Jun
The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government announced (in the Queen's Speech) plans for a Decentralisation and Localism Bill, designed (for England only) to abolish regional spatial strategies, return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils, abolish the Infrastructure Planning Commission, and give residents the power to instigate local referendums on any local issue and the power to veto 'excessive' council tax increases.
Source: Queen's Speech, 25 May 2010
Links: Text of Speech | DCLG press release | LGA press release | LGIU press release | Centre for Cities press release | NLGN press release | TCPA press release | CIH press release | NHF press release | RICS press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Telegraph report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-May
The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government (formed following the general election in May 2010) published its policy programme for a five-year term of office. The programme included:
• A 'significantly accelerated' reduction in the structural public deficit, with the main burden of deficit reduction borne by reduced spending rather than increased taxes, and arrangements that would protect those on low incomes from the effect of public sector pay constraint and other spending constraints.
• Cuts of £6 billion to non-front line services in 2010-11, 'subject to advice from the Treasury and the Bank of England on their feasibility and advisability'. Spending would be cut on the child trust fund and tax credits for higher earners.
A full public spending review, reporting in autumn 2010.
• An independent commission to review the long-term affordability of public sector pensions, while protecting accrued rights. The earnings link for uprating the basic state pension would be restored from April 2011.
• The personal allowance for income tax to be increased in order to help lower- and middle-income earners. There would be a substantial increase in the allowance from April 2011, with a longer-term objective of increasing it to £10,000 per year: this would take priority over other tax cuts, including cuts to inheritance tax. Liberal Democrat MPs would be allowed to abstain on budget resolutions to introduce transferable tax allowances for married couples.
• Funding for the National Health Service would increase in real terms in each year of the parliament. Overall management responsibility for the NHS would be transferred to a new independent board.
• A commission would examine the future of long-term care, reporting within a year. Legislation giving free personal care to the most needy, enacted at the end of the previous Labour government, would be scrapped.
• An annual limit on the number of non-European Union economic migrants admitted into the United Kingdom to live and work. Detention of children for immigration purposes would be ended.
• The establishment of fixed-term (five years) parliaments. There would be a referendum on the introduction of the alternative vote system of voting in general elections. A committee would be established to bring forward proposals for a wholly or mainly elected upper chamber on the basis of proportional representation.
• A referendum on further Welsh devolution.
• A commission would investigate the creation of a British Bill of Rights that incorporated all existing obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. The identity card scheme would be scrapped.
• 'Radical' devolution of power and greater financial autonomy to local government and community groups. There would be a 'full review' of local government finance.
• Phasing out of the default retirement age. There would be a review to set the date at which the state pension age started to rise to 66, although it would not be sooner than 2016 for men and 2020 for women. Rules requiring compulsory annuitization of pension savings at 75 would be scrapped.
• Replacement of all existing welfare-to-work programmes with a single programme. Jobseeker's allowance claimants facing the most significant barriers to work would be referred to the new programme immediately, rather than after 12 months. Jobseeker's allowance claimants aged under 25 would be referred to the programme after a maximum of six months.
•Reform of schools in order to ensure that new providers could enter the state school system in response to parental demand. All schools would have greater freedom over the curriculum. A 'significant' premium would be introduced for disadvantaged pupils, funded by cuts from outside the schools budget.
Measures to make the police service more accountable through oversight by directly elected police commissioners. There would be a 'full review' of sentencing policy. Anonymity in rape cases would be extended to defendants.
• Extension of the right to request flexible working to all employees. A 'fair pay review' in the public sector would consider how to implement a proposed '20 times' multiple limit between the highest and lowest pay rates.
Source: The Coalition: Our Programme for Government, Cabinet Office
Links: Programme | Downing Street press release | Press conference transcript | DH press release | ADASS press release | SCIE press release | Carers UK press release | Kings Fund press release | BMA press release | NASUWT press release | LGA press release | CIH press release | RTPI press release | Fawcett Society press release | Friends of the Earth press release | Community Care report (1) | Community Care report (2) | Personnel Today report | Children & Young People Now report | Pulse report | BBC report (1) | BBC report (2) | BBC report (3) | BBC report (4) | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Guardian report (3) | Guardian report (4) | Guardian report (5) | Telegraph report | Womensgrid report
Date: 2010-May
A think-tank report said that a lack of joined-up working across central government departments risked undermining the 'Total Place' initiative. It called for the setting up of a new 'Department for Devolved Government' to drive devolution and release greater freedoms and powers for locally elected politicians. Accountability for public health budgets and local policing should be devolved immediately to all local authorities.
Source: Nigel Keohane and Geraldine Smith, Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts: Total Place and the future shape of public services, New Local Government Network
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Mar
A report said that the United Kingdom remained one of the most centralized states in the developed world, and that this had undermined the ability to create services that engaged with and changed people's lives. It called for negotiations between central government and the large cities and counties that were operating as sub-regions: these negotiations would agree 'more for less single place budgets' securing the devolution of new powers and financial freedoms in return for a flat-rate reduction in central funding. Accountability needed to shift accordingly: a clearly visible figure – similar to a mayor – would be accountable for the single place budget.
Source: Sue Charteris, Katy Donnelly, Phil Swann and John Houghton, Delivering a Localist Future: A route-map for change, 2020 Public Services Trust
Links: Report | 2020 press release
Date: 2010-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs called on the Department for Communities and Local Government to improve its performance in several key respects.
Source: Communities and Local Government's Departmental Annual Report 2009, and the Performance of the Department in 2008-09, Third Report (Session 2009-10), HC 391, House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report | Telegraph report | New Start report
Date: 2010-Mar
A local government organization published a 'draft Bill' setting out a power of general competence for local councils. It would provide new powers for councils to do anything likely to benefit their local area and local residents, as long as it was within the law.
Source: Draft Local Government (Power of General Competence) Bill, Local Government Association
Links: Draft Bill | Law Society Gazette report
Date: 2010-Mar
A pamphlet set out the approach of the opposition Conservative Party to localism. 'Centralized bureaucratic' structures could not deliver large-scale public spending cuts. Structures were needed instead that had three main features – decentralization, transparency, and accountability.
Source: Oliver Letwin MP, Decentralisation, Transparency and Accountability, Unlock Democracy
Links: Pamphlet
Date: 2010-Mar
An article examined continuity and change in the issues facing local councillors. It considered the changing role of the councillor as a 'public person', in the context of wider discussions of democracy, and argued for a positive role for the councillor in a revitalized public domain.
Source: Eileen Lepine and Helen Sullivan, 'Realising the public person', Local Government Studies, Volume 36 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Feb
The government published a summary of the responses received to a consultation on strengthening local democracy.
Source: Strengthening Local Democracy: Consultation – Summary of Responses, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Consultation responses | Consultation document | DCLG press release
Date: 2010-Feb
An article developed an ethical justification for local government based on classical liberal theory, and analyzed its implications for the structure and functions of a system of local governance within a liberal democracy. Local government ought to determine and implement those policies that did not infringe the interests of those outside its area, and represent its views to other agencies where its policies affected others.
Source: Jim Chandler, 'A rationale for local government', Local Government Studies, Volume 36 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Feb
The government published its final response to a report by a committee of MPs on the balance of power between central and local government.
Source: Final Government Response to the Select Committee Report into the Balance of Power: Central and Local Government, Cm 7801, Department for Communities and Local Government/TSO
Links: Response | First response | MPs report
Date: 2010-Feb
Local councils in London called for the devolution of key responsibilities to local government level, including healthcare and welfare services. They said that devolution would give residents more choice and more say over local issues, as well as generating cost savings.
Source: The Manifesto for Londoners, London Councils
Links: Manifesto | New Start report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Feb
A paper (by the leader of a Tory-controlled county council) set out a plan for 'radical devolution' of powers to local communities and local government at all levels. It said that this could deliver substantial savings of public money and drive up standards of service for local people. It recommended the removal of national quangos and regional bureaucracy, potentially saving £15-21 billion per annum.
Source: Paul Carter, Bold Steps for Radical Reform: The big opportunity for local government and big savings for the public purse, Kent Council Council
Links: Paper | KCC press release
Date: 2010-Jan
A think-tank report said that cities and their surrounding areas should be governed by elected mayors with wide-ranging powers over tax, policing, and health.
Source: Nick Hope and Nirmalee Wanduragala, New Model Mayors: Democracy, devolution and direction, New Local Government Network
Links: Report | NLGN press release | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2010-Jan