As the #localgovernment crisis continues to get worse, here are four reforms that might help reverse the problems & restore some semblance of local (accountable) #democracy:
reform the needs assessment system to reflect actual local needs;
Link 1. to equitable funding - allocated for need (and redistributed if required);
A standing commission to represent local government interests & negotiate with central Govt.
There is an epidemic of #financial miss-governance & outright criminality across local councils... but the Q. is what has caused this?
Some might argue that #localgovernment has always been corrupt... while others might suggest the massive pressures put on local councils have resulted in them trying (even illegal) means to stay afloat.
And the collapse in local media means much of this is happening out of sight.
Local #democracy is in crisis... but what's the answer?
Well, tis no real surprise that the #Tories response to the financial crisis in #localgovernment is to 'encourage' Councils to sell public assets to balance the books....
not only is this a short-term, once-only solution to an ongoing budgetary crisis, it also from the Tories point of view (again) reduces the base of operations for local government.
Here is a map of Local Authority debt per person, produced using publicly available data by Ciara Sowerby (and posted at LinkedIn) which offers an interesting picture of how the debt is distributed.
This suggests for #localgovernment, on debt at least, there are highly variable situations.
Of course, this is likely to be influenced by the needs for service provision & the wealth (tax base) of the local population, but does offers some food for thought on the crisis in local government.
What a surprise after years of Tory cuts to local government funding while loading them with responsibilities. And it has a knock on effect of Scottish, Welsh and NI local government as well. More to come.
But what is a bit of neglect if you can pretend to cut taxes for the richest while hiding effective rises for the majority of us.
San Francisco deserves the best possible redistricting process!
“We really see this as an important step forward for building a stronger, more inclusive democracy in San Francisco. One that all residents can trust and have faith in.” Sietse Goffard, Asian Law Caucus
Did you miss the deadline to email the San Francisco Elections Commission? You can still ask them to vote to support recommendations for better redistricting in our city!
Given the #Tories are not going to stop #localgovernment collapsing into financial chaos, the Q. is what (if anything) do they expect to take its place?
Its unclear (to me at least) whether they think a mosaic of #freeports & enterprise zones can replace local governance, or whether they are just wrecking because they can, or whether its merely more centralising zeal, gathering power & resources in #London?
We know there is a crisis in #localgovernment funding, we can see it across a range of services, but perhaps the most heartbreaking is the crisis in Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) support... that the unavailability of funding is nothing to do with over-stated need is reflected in the fact that when #SEND claims end up in court, around 96% are found to be legitimate, despite Councils often fighting the claim.
The #Tories wrecking of local Govt. harms the weak & vulnerable!
The ripples of #JeremyHunt's scorched earth #AutumnStatement have reached #localgovernment pretty quickly... this is starting to look like the wilful hobbling of the country in the hope that the ensuing disaster(s) around the public sector will so damage the next Govt. that that the #Tories can claim to be our saviours after a one term Labour Govt. fails (for whatever reason) to be a salvation.
It immoral #politics of the wreckers! They're just narcissistic nihilists!