Reform must go on

May 18, 2011

Patrick Butler asks, is it all over for local government reform? In short, no – not least because there is no alternative but to reform how councils operate. Some high-profile, politically-charged experiments have gone awry, but reform continues unabated. Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire for example are working quietly but ambitiously, under the media’s radar, to redesign their services. Suffolk was right to try something new, but the pace was unsustainable politically. Reforming how councils work is essential and desirable, but the turbulent experience of some offers a salutary lesson – it won’t be achieved overnight.

Simon Parker, Director, New Local Government Network (NLGN)


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