Key Lib Dem figure promises

September 18, 2006

Andrew Stunell MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government today sets out plans for “unprecedented decentralisation” under the Liberal Democrats.



In a New Local Government Network pamphlet, Lib Dems and Localism, part of a series of NLGN Party Pamphlets, Mr Stunell argues that every community should have its own community council should it want one, as well as additional powers to petition local neighbourhood boards and area committees. Under Andrew Stunell’s proposals, the new community councils would be established in the same way that new Parish councils are in England, but with additional powers.



Andrew Stunell also advocates putting the responsibilities of government Quangos into the democratic control of local authorities and encourages more councils to consider collaborating together on strategic issues such as transport and economic development.



He also criticises the government for “reducing local government to emasculated arm of central government” and argues that this over-centralisation has affected the competitiveness of English cities.



In the pamphlet Andrew Stunell reflects:



    “If the Liberal Democrat view is we should be encouraging more localism, and that communities should have a pivotal role in deciding their own futures, how would we deliver this? Our answer is a short and simple one. We want to see unprecedented decentralisation, with decisions taken at the lowest possible level, by people and communities, acting through fairly elected, accountable local authorities”.



Lib Dems and Localism also includes a number of essays from Lib Dem figures in local government:



John Shipley, Leader of Newcastle City Council looks forward to impact of the local government White Paper on Newcastle, as well as looking at the viability of the city functioning within a City-Region. He reflects on the need to develop a “new, more mature central-local relationship” for metropolitan areas like Newcastle, with greater devolved powers being matched by more effective local leadership. He also advocates a local income tax to replace the council tax to “make a connection between local democratic choice and financial accountability explicit”.



Richard Kemp, Leader of the Liberal Democrats at the Local Government Association and Liverpool City Councillor, uses his own experiences of community engagement to offer a template for developing the relationship between local councils and their citizens. He approaches this through the need for deep and purposeful consultation, as well as using new technologies to improve the dialogue between councillors and the local community.



Paul Tilsley, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council discusses how he has pursued a localisation agenda in the city and moved decision making closer to the communities affected by change. He outlines how ten council constituencies have been established which enable the locally managed delivery of services and budgets. While there are minimum standards across each service, constituents are able to make decisions about which services they are able to priorities.



David Boyle, member of the Liberal Democrat federal policy committee argues that public services will only become truly responsive by engaging local people in their running, pointing out that ”British style welfare has given birth to giant bureaucracies over which people have no control”. He is critical of frontline public service staff being preoccupied with central government targets – what he terms as “target mania” – and advocates the devolution of power to frontline staff and turning local public services “from silos of professional exhaustion and into engines of neighbourhood renewal”.



Lib Dems and Localism is published on Monday 18th September and is part of a series of NLGN party pamphlets from the leading political parties. It is edited by Steve Hitchens, former Leader of Islington Council.



Media enquiries James Hulme on 020 7357 0116



Notes for Editors:



The New Local Government Network (NLGN) is an independent think tank, seeking to transform public services, revitalise local political leadership and empower local communities.



Explore More