More power for Local Councils?

[AtheneNoctua]

What do you think?

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7893295.stm

In principle, I think it's a good thing. The decentralisation of politics can lead to greater democratisation at a local level.

However, I would be worried about the extreme conclusion of this "accountability" rhetoric: if people dislike someone, how quickly will they get rid of them? Some issues require time and patience to resolve, and if people don't give their elected officials time (though of course I don't condone inefficiency, etc.), then it's no kind of solution to simply replace them the moment you lose patience, IYSWIM.

Also, I am always a bit suspicious of political rhetoric about local taxes: of course, like anyone, I don't "like" paying large amounts of council tax; but I also recognise that services are expensive to provide, and that voting to pay less might cause problems.

The tories plans seem only to affect the big city councils in terms of having a local mayor.

Again with the power to vote against council tax increases would be appealing as a tax payer and may make councils use their resources more wisely but the shite ones are just going to cut back on essential services. No one is going to want higher taxes. But at a time when councils are paying out more in benefits this is the time when they cannot really afford to cut down on tax.

Also with regards to the regional spatial strategy thing - no one wants 10s of 1000s of more houses built in the area but we need them. If you remove the body that can say you have to build this many then councils aren't going to build as many as this makes them unpopular with the voters. They're going to say why can't x council next door build them. And we are so short of housing in this country someone needs to. There is the right of appeal against desicions by the RSS.

As to more open records when it comes to perks and pay - I don't have a problem with that.

I think it will cause problems for the councils and it's just a populist idea that will have no real benefit at a local level (or at least will have more minuses). It will also take pressure off the government but put in onto the councils.

I think I like the idea of the councils being accountable to the local people whom they are meant to serve rather than governed to national standards which not not be appropriate all the time.

You already vote for local councillors so have control over who is leading the council.

I see your point over being more accountable to local people than to government guidelines, but I don't think this would do that. Except in the few big cities that would get their own mayors. Only a tiny proportion though would be affected by that. The rest I think is talk and would change little at a local level. All you would get would be vetoing council tax rises and the ability for the council to say no to more housing (which as a country we need).

That is it.

But, I think the plan comes with a requirement for councillors to release more information to the public... like their accounts. And that's great. For example, if my council is pending £10 to recyle one glass bottle, which actually they are shipping to dump in India, then I'd like to know about it and put a stop to that wasteful (pardon the pun) pratice. Not to mention that they now collect my rubbish half as often so I and the rest of the town spend own petrol piling into the dump on Saturday morning. I'd like more fact available. Not just the ones the council wants to reveal.

Just like I think MP expenses should be made public!

I thought they were only asking them to release pay and perks info?

I know our council already makes details of councillors pay and gifts etc available to view.

It would be great if they were asking them to reveal everything but they're not. That's why I think the plans don't really do anything. Or not much that's useful anyway.

Oh, maybe I got a bit carried away with my hopes of accountability.