Labour vows to take power away from Westminster to stop Tory micromanagement of local communities
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Labour will undertake the biggest-ever transfer of power out of
Westminster to support local economies to grow, Lisa Nandy vows
today (Sunday). Britain is one of the most centralised
countries in the developed world, with power hoarded at Westminster
and local leaders and communities lacking a say in most of the
decisions that affect their daily lives. Labour believes this
is not just a local or a regional problem – it is at the heart of
Britain’s national...Request free trial
Labour will undertake the biggest-ever transfer of power out of Westminster to support local economies to grow, Lisa Nandy vows today (Sunday). Britain is one of the most centralised countries in the developed world, with power hoarded at Westminster and local leaders and communities lacking a say in most of the decisions that affect their daily lives. Labour believes this is not just a local or a regional problem – it is at the heart of Britain’s national crisis and the fact that we have an economy that is not working for most people in most places. That is why Keir Starmer has been clear that a central priority of his party will be to put communities back in charge of their own destiny. Speaking at Labour’s Local Government conference today, Lisa Nandy MP, Shadow Levelling Up Secretary, will say: “Britain is almost unique in trying to power a modern economy using only a handful of people in a handful of sectors in a few parts of the country. For years the plan for the rest of us has amounted to just one word – redistribution. “Today we’re calling time on this tired, failed approach. No longer will we write off the assets, talent and potential of most people in most parts of Britain. “If we want properly funded services so we can care for our sick and elderly, an end to the housing crisis, and young people to have choices and chances so they don’t have to get out to get on, every one of us in every part of Britain has to play our part.” This comes as the Labour Party highlights a growing trend of Whitehall micromanaging small local decisions – from the placement of new park benches to the removal of chewing gum from high streets – while failing to discharge central responsibilities like preventing crime and protecting the NHS. The Local Government Association found that over four years to 2019, there were at least 448 separate funding pots into which councils were invited to bid for funding for specific projects. In response, Lisa Nandy has vowed that: “A Labour government will do its job, but what it won’t do is the job of local leaders and communities.” Notes MICROMANAGEMENT EXAMPLES The UK’s over-centralisation means that, in recent years, ministers and Whitehall mandarins have spent countless hours micromanaging dozens of decisions. Officials at the Department for Transport decided who should receive money for the maintenance of local traffic lights “The Traffic Signals Maintenance scheme award aims to increase the maintenance of traffic signals in English local authorities” Traffic signals maintenance scheme: award winners - GOV.UK The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) decided which areas could get new and revamped parks DLUHC’s prospectus for potential bidders even included a diagram of what a “good park” looks like: Over 100 new and revamped parks to level up towns and cities across the UK - GOV.UK Levelling Up Parks Fund: Prospectus - GOV.UK A new public bench near Stockport needed the approval of the government’s Towns Fund Cheadle High Street | Stockport | Case Study | Broxap Whitehall set up a “Chewing Gum Task Force” to coordinate the removal of chewing gum from local streets New funding to remove chewing gum stains from our high streets - GOV.UK Central government kept an iron grip on where new accessible toilets could be built Improved parking facilities and picnic areas in Northern Ireland required funding from the government’s Levelling Up Fund Levelling Up Fund Round 2: successful bidders - GOV.UK DLUHC officials spent hours deciding to award funding for swimming pools in Birmingham and Halifax Levelling Up Fund: first round successful bidders - GOV.UK A music education centre in South London required central government approval World Heart Beat scoop Levelling Up Fund for new Nine Elms music centre A zoo in Hinckley & Bosworth received money from Whitehall Levelling Up Fund: first round successful bidders - GOV.UK A controversial new multi-storey car park in Stoke was a recipient of funding from one of DLUHC’s myriad competitive funding pots Taxpayers to fork out £11m for 450-space car park - Stoke-on-Trent Live Central government had to approve a new film studios in Kent Over £14.7 million allocation for new film studios in Ashford - Case study - GOV.UK The Secretary of State for Transport intervened to block the building of new houses in North London Transport secretary blocks Cockfosters car park scheme - Barnet Post Whitehall micromanaged funding for bus shelter upgrades in North Lincolnshire Levelling Up Fund Round 2: successful bidders - GOV.UK. For electric vehicle charging points in West Devon Levelling Up Fund Round 2: successful bidders - GOV.UK. For an e-bike hire scheme in Dundee Levelling Up Fund Round 2: successful bidders - GOV.UK. For a children’s play area in Ellesmere Port Levelling Up Fund Round 2: successful bidders - GOV.UK. Reopening Canterbury Castle required the green light from central government Levelling Up Fund Round 2: successful bidders - GOV.UK. A cycling development project in Northern Ireland was micromanaged from Whitehall Levelling Up Fund: first round successful bidders - GOV.UK As was the redevelopment of recreation grounds in Northern Ireland Redeveloping Portrush Recreation Grounds with £1.6 million funding - Case study - GOV.UK CRITICISM There has been widespread, cross-party criticism of Whitehall’s refusal to give up control of even small, localised decisions. Andy Street, Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands, has said: “Levelling Up Fund bids are incredibly random, from colleges in Wolverhampton to swimming pools in Birmingham to high streets. It is all sorts of things. Of course, the local authorities have reasons why they bid for that. However, is there a real strategic plan behind these either locally or centrally? There is not.” “If you trust people with these roles [Mayors] and then you hold them to account with the electorate directly, you need to entrust them to take the right decisions, not have their proposals marked by civil servants and ministers in London.” Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee The Tory-led Local Government Association (LGA) has pointed out: “Government invests around £20 billion in 49 national employment and skills-related schemes or services across England, managed by multiple Whitehall departments and agencies, and delivered over different boundaries by various providers.” They calculate it would cost each council roughly £2.25m a year chasing down various pots of money distributed from the centre while “a more localised approach” would boost the local economy by £35m and save the taxpayer £25m a year. https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/113701/pdf/ Lib Dem-led Tunbridge Wells Council hit out Whitehall’s over-centralisation: “Government decides how much we charge for a planning or licensing application, how much we charge for parking fines and the amount by which we can increase Council Tax.” “Funds seem to emerge from a range of government departments for a range of purposes (set out centrally within Whitehall) and they are accompanied by onerous application and reporting processes. This approach…is clearly inefficient and suboptimal.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/113713/html/ Conservative councillor Kevin Bentley, Leader of Essex County Council and Chairman of the LGA’s People and Places Board, says: “My strong view and certainly the LGA’s strong view is that if you believe in levelling up you don’t believe in bidding for funds. The allocation [of funding] should be devolved and it should be for local government officers and councillors to make those decisions.” https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/e1783a3a-dea5-490a-9434-f3650dcf29dc Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, asked of the £30m fund for changing places toilets: “Why is there a national bidding fund for that? Surely local authorities should have the money within their capital budgets to make those kinds of changes to their local areas.” Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee Conservative councillor Abi Brown, Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “If true levelling up is to be achieved, it will not be through a succession of beauty parades for small pots of cash for centrally-directed pet projects.” Funding pots Councils were invited to bid into no fewer than 448 separate funding pots administered by central government between 2015 and 2019: https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Fragmented%20Funding_final.pdf |