Brown speech “may herald end of top-down government”

September 3, 2007

The New Local Government Network (NLGN) welcomed Gordon Brown’s ambition to end top-down governance from Whitehall and empower local communities.

However, it urged the Prime Minister to give local government leaders a central role in re-engaging the public with local politics. In particular it argued that developing a new generation of local leaders would help to reconnect local people with local government.

NLGN Director Chris Leslie said that the tone of the Prime Minister’s speech, which refuted the idea that “the man in Whitehall knows best”, was extremely encouraging for those who wanted to see greater power devolved from central Government.

Commenting on the speech, Mr Leslie said:

“The Prime Minister’s explicit commitment to reinvigorate local democracy and devolving powers from Whitehall is extremely positive, especially his ambition to explore renewed powers for local government and stronger local accountability for the police and health services. Placing devolution at the heart of his new politics, we hope that the era of true localism is about to begin. His appreciation that many key policy areas are better delivered with local knowledge and expertise provides a refreshing counterweight to those who argue against further devolution”

“I hope that the Prime Minister will use this opportunity to think about the ways in which local politicians and community activists can be fully engaged in bringing people closer to politics. Council leaders play a key role in facilitating local policy debate and delivery and should be more prominent throughout our constitution.”

“I would like to see Gordon Brown build upon the forthcoming ‘Councillors Commission’ to help develop a new generation of local leaders who will help deliver this new era of devolved politics”


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