Category Archives: Local government

The Voice

More power for cities over skills budgets

By The Voice | Thu 29th October 2009 - 9:20 am

This week The Voice is running a four part series from the Centre for Cities, a think tank that works on analysis and policy to boost city economies. They launched their ‘Cities Manifesto’ at the Bournemouth Lib Dem Conference and this series looks in more detail at its main planks. You can also find out more at http://www.citiesmanifesto.org.

UK business leaders have become so fed-up with our skills system that they’re now refusing even to discuss it. Asked what the priorities for skills reform should be over the next five years …

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The Voice

Lib Dem council leader quits over ‘Astragate’ affair

By The Voice | Wed 28th October 2009 - 9:45 pm

The Local Government Chronicle reports:

Embattled Northampton BC leader Tony Woods (Lib Dem) has stepped down from the authority’s helm following the so-called ‘Astragate’ affair. Cllr Woods was officially sanctioned by the authority for leaving his untaxed Vauxhall Astra in the authority’s Guildhall car park for more than three months earlier this year.

In a brief resignation speech, Cllr Woods said the incident was a “silly, trivial mistake” that had seen him subjected to a level of abuse not even serious criminals faced.

Local paper the Northampton Chronicle & Echo quoted Cllr Woods as saying he was “truly saddened” to be standing

…

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The Voice

Building the houses we need in Britain’s cities

By The Voice | Wed 28th October 2009 - 9:20 am

This week The Voice is running a four part series from the Centre for Cities, a think tank that works on analysis and policy to boost city economies. They launched their ‘Cities Manifesto’ at the Bournemouth Lib Dem Conference and this series looks in more detail at its main planks. You can also find out more at http://www.citiesmanifesto.org.

In our cities, some of the most visible effects of the credit crunch are the housebuilding projects and plans that have ground to a halt. The regeneration of York Northwest …

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The Voice

More financial power for cities

By The Voice | Tue 27th October 2009 - 9:20 am

This week The Voice is running a four part series from the Centre for Cities, a think tank that works on analysis and policy to boost city economies. They launched their ‘Cities Manifesto’ at the Bournemouth Lib Dem Conference and this series looks in more detail at its main planks. You can also find out more at http://www.citiesmanifesto.org.

All the major parties spent party conference season trying to advance their localist credentials. However, there’s more the Liberal Democrats could do to reassert their radical localist credentials – most significantly, by …

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The Voice

Opinion: Metro Mayors for UK’s largest cities

By The Voice | Mon 26th October 2009 - 9:20 am

This week The Voice is running a four part series from the Centre for Cities, a think tank that works on analysis and policy to boost city economies. They launched their ‘Cities Manifesto’ at the Bournemouth Lib Dem Conference and this series looks in more detail at its main planks. You can also find out more at http://www.citiesmanifesto.org.

At party conference last month, I was struck by just how many of the UK’s biggest cities are run by the Lib Dems. You now control virtually every big city outside London – that means that, taken together, 25 million people …

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Stephen Tall

Bedford Mayoral Election … Lib Dems’ Dave Hogdson WINS!

By Stephen Tall | Fri 16th October 2009 - 3:28 pm

Result just in …

First preferences:

Lib Dem 9428
Con 9105
Indy 7631
Indy 4316
Lab 3482
Green 1183

After second preferences:

Lib Dem 13352
Conservative 11543
Turnout: 30%

Many congratulations to Dave Hodgson and his team on a fantastic victory!

Update: Nick Clegg has issued his congratulations …

This is a sensational victory for Dave Hodgson and I congratulate him and the Bedford Liberal Democrats for an outstanding campaign. By electing Dave Hodgson as Mayor the people of Bedford have put their trust in the Liberal Democrats to work hard on their behalf.

“The fact that the Tories are losing in their South of England heartland is proof the General Election is not the foregone conclusion they think it is.

“Dave has lived in Bedford for thirty years and has built an outstanding record of action for local people. As Mayor he will work hard to keep Bedford’s roads safe, cut waste and make sure that the people of Bedford get the quality local services they deserve.

“People told me and Vince Cable at our visits to Bedford that they are enthusiastic about our message for real change

“This result shows how misplaced the Conservatives’ complacency about the next election really is. The Liberal Democrats have never taken a single vote for granted. With Labour lagging behind at a disastrous fifth this is yet more evidence that the real choice is now between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.”

You can watch a video of Nick congratulating Dave here:

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Stephen Tall

Bedford mayoral election … Lib Dems’ Dave Hodgson ahead on 1st preferences

By Stephen Tall | Fri 16th October 2009 - 2:17 pm

Yesterday saw voting in Bedford for the new elected mayor, with the Lib Dems’ Dave Hodgson the bookies’ favourite. Counting started this morning, and we’ll be reporting the result as soon as we receive it. Alternatively, you can do what we’re doing and follow the Twitter stream …

The good news so far is that Dave was ahead on first preferences, with Labour trailing badly in fifth place, and the Greens losing their deposit. However, as no candidate gained more than 50% of the votes cast, second preferences of the losing candidates are now being counted – so we …

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Mark Pack

Yes, council websites can

By Mark Pack | Wed 7th October 2009 - 1:20 pm

The October edition of Total Politics has a piece from me on how local authorities can learn from the Obama campaign’s mastery of the internet to build communities of active and engaged residents. You can read it over on my blog.

The basic theme – too many councils are trapped in the idea that a good online presence equals a 1990s style website which you then just expect people to come to – is one I also talked about in one of The Voice’s fringe meetings at Bournemouth Conference. The podcast of that, along the contributions of Jo Swinson MP …

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Also posted in Online politics | 2 Comments
Mark Pack

Richmond Council pioneers green parking charges

By Mark Pack | Fri 2nd October 2009 - 3:30 pm

Sky News reports:

A local authority in London has become the first in the world to charge motorists for parking on the basis of how “green” their vehicle is.

Richmond upon Thames is to charge drivers varying prices based on the carbon dioxide emissions of their vehicle of choice.

The system works for drivers who use the RingGo system to pay for their parking.

Motorists register and pay by phone, and RingGo accesses the DVLA database for each customer’s registration to determine emissions data on the car.

Those who drive gas-guzzlers will pay 25% above the standard rate while those who drive eco-friendly cars will

…

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Mark Pack

What do councillors spend their time on?

By Mark Pack | Mon 7th September 2009 - 12:20 pm

ComRes has recently published the results of a survey it carried out earlier this year, asking over 500 councillors in England and Wales (but not Scotland) a wide range of questions.

One in particular which caught my eye was about how much time being a councillor took up, and where that time went:

Councillors spend the most hours per month attending council meetings and following this on committee work. On average, councillors spend about 19 hours a month attending council meetings. This is greatest among councillors serving in county councils who spend, on average, 24 hours a month attending council meetings. This

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Simon Titley

Opinion: Stone Age communication not as cheap as you think

By Simon Titley | Sun 6th September 2009 - 11:00 am

There is a report in the E-Government Bulletin about the campaign organisation WebThrift’s claim that councils are wasting money on web services.

Peter Barton at Lincolnshire County Council turns WebThrift’s claim on its head. He estimates the cost impact of turning the web OFF at the council: click here for details.

What is WebThrift’s real agenda? Who could possibly benefit by the isolation of people from local government?

* Simon Titley is a Liberal Democrat activist who helps to write and produce Liberator magazine.

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The Voice

Farron blasts as “ridiculous” Tory council’s refusal to protect allotments from vandals

By The Voice | Sat 5th September 2009 - 5:45 pm

The Mirror has the story:

Gardeners are so furious with their council they feel like throwing in their trowels. The growers have been banned from using barbed wire to deter allotment vandals – in case they hurt themselves.

Property at the Muddy Bottom East Allotment is being damaged up to three times a week. In one attack 15 sheds were smashed, water butts were overturned and taps were left running.

But when allotment holders asked Southampton council to put up the wire, it said no for fear of being sued. … Lib Dem environment spokesman Tim Farron said the decision was “ridiculous”.

Bizarrely,

…

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Stephen Tall

Will Tory Barnet’s ‘Ryanair Council’ model backfire?

By Stephen Tall | Sat 29th August 2009 - 3:35 pm

There’s been plenty of reaction to yesterday’s Guardian story in which Tory-controlled Barnet council revelled in their plans to adopt the practices of no-frills airlines like Ryanair in their delivery of local services:

Barnet wants householders to pay extra to jump the queue for planning consents, in the way budget airlines charge extra for priority boarding. And as budget airline passengers choose to spend their budget on either flying at peaktime or having an in-flight meal, recipients of adult social care in Barnet will choose to spend a limited budget on whether to have a cleaner or a respite carer or even a holiday to Eastbourne. Other examples of proposed reforms include reducing the size of waste bins to minimise the cost of council rubbish collections.

The proposals are being seen as an example of “new Conservatism” which is spreading among Tory-controlled boroughs. Observers believe “radical outriders” such as Barnet offer a glimpse of how a David Cameron government could overhaul public service provision in an era of heavy spending cuts.

The Evening Standard’s Paul Waugh has dug out a couple of revealing quotes, first from Tory Barnet councillor John Hart:

With council tenants, and I’ll admit I am putting it crudely, it has been a lot of ‘my arse needs wiping, and somebody from the council can come and do it for me’.”

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The Voice

When Potholes Attack!

By The Voice | Sat 29th August 2009 - 2:45 pm

My thanks to LDV reader Andrew Harrison (with a hit-tip to b3ta) for bringing The Voice’s attention to the Glum Councillors website, which is dedicated to “doggedly collate images of councillors looking glum whilst pointing at holes in the road, wearing hard hats or presenting oversized cheques.”

We can take pride in the fact, sort of, that so many Lib Dems are prominently represented. As Andrew notes, pavement politics at its finest.

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Stephen Tall

Should parish councils be “completely apolitical”?

By Stephen Tall | Sat 29th August 2009 - 11:40 am

An intriguing row has broken out in Shoreham, West Sussex, in the lead-up to a by-election to fill a vacancy on the parish council. The local paper tells all:

CONTROVERSY is stirring in grassroots politics, with the nomination of a Liberal Democrat to stand in a Rustington Parish Council by-election. Jamie Bennett’s punt at parish politics has rippled the normally tranquil waters of the council, on which all 15 current members sit as independents.

Lib-Dem Jamie will contest the West ward seat vacated by former parish council chairman Mike Warrington, who has moved away from the area, in a two-horse race with Andy Cooper, described as the “Keep Rustington Council Independent” candidate. The by-election is on Thursday, September 17.

This kind of debate isn’t unusual at parish council level – the size of most parishes, and their limited budget powers, tend to mean the decisions they can make are small-scale: what place does party politics have in such circumstances?, goes the argument.

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The Voice

Gordon Seekings steps down as councillor

By The Voice | Wed 26th August 2009 - 6:11 pm

Lib Dem Voice doesn’t note the resignations of all councillors, but Gordon Seekings – for 22 years Lib Dem councillor for Northgate in Crawley – will be well known to many from the party’s membership services. Here’s how Crawley News reports it:

Cllr Gordon Seekings, who represented Northgate for 22 years, cited “personal reasons” for his departure. He left his Crawley Borough Council post immediately after the announcement, meaning Northgate will be missing one councillor until the by-election. …

Cllr David Shreeves, deputy leader of the council’s Labour group, added: “Gordon’s efforts as a councillor have been very valuable to the

…

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The Voice

CommentIsLinked@LDV… Terry Stacy: Councils must be transparent and accountable about surveillance

By The Voice | Mon 27th July 2009 - 8:55 pm

Well, it’s not quite an op-ed article, but there’s a detailed letter from Lib Dem leader of Islington Council, Cllr Terry Stacy, urges all councils to follow Islington’s example, and reject the local use of surveillance powers. Here’s an excerpt:

… local government really is on the frontline of Britain’s expanding surveillance state – councillors and council leaders need to be held accountable for their decisions. Councillors must decide whether they embrace the surveillance society, or reject it and introduce checks and balances and public democratic oversight of the local use of surveillance powers, as the Liberal Democrats have done

…

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The Voice

CommentIsLinked@LDV… John Shipley: Our record in power shows that we have vision and ambition

By The Voice | Thu 23rd July 2009 - 7:00 pm

Over at The Guardian today, Councillor John Shipley, Lib Dem leader of Newcastle city council, writes a robust response to Tristram Hunt’s partial (in every sense) attack on the Lib Dems’ record in local government. Here’s an excerpt:

Tristram Hunt’s claim that the many cities and urban councils now run by Liberal Democrats lack the leadership and vision of Labour authorities such as Manchester and Glasgow is nonsense. … He fails to mention Newcastle upon Tyne at all. Lost by Labour to the Lib Dems in 2004, civic leadership flourishes here with a new £40m city library and investment in cultural

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The Independent View: Calling time on National Justice

By Shema Begum | Tue 21st July 2009 - 11:45 am

Shema Begum works at the Local Government Information Unit, which has just published a report entitled Primary Justice. This report proposes devolving control of power and funding for specific parts of the criminal justice system to upper tier local authorities. Shema explains more here.

Our centralised prison system may keep the public safe while offenders are inside, but it fails to equip ex offenders to lead law abiding lives once they are released. We need a new localised approach. This is the verdict of a three month inquiry conducted by the Local Government Information Unit in cooperation with the All Party Parliamentary Local Government Group.

During this inquiry sixty local authorities submitted written evidence and high profile commentators such as Charles Clarke (former Home Secretary), Lord Ramsbotham (Former Chief Inspector of Prisons) and Louise Casey (Government Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Adviser) were grilled by a panel of MPs and academics. Their recommendations are detailed in a report launched today entitled Primary Justice.

We all know the facts. There are currently 82,000 people in prison, the second highest incarceration rate across Western Europe, and 10% above its stated capacity. Despite overcrowded prison conditions most offenders return to prison within two years of their release. A typical offender leaves prison with a £46 allowance to support themselves for a fortnight. With no job, and often no home or loved ones to return to, it is easy to understand why some may find it difficult to become law abiding citizens.

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Stephen Tall

Farron leads demand for better public toilets

By Stephen Tall | Fri 17th July 2009 - 12:00 pm

Now, here’s a challenge – write an entire article about public lavatories without recourse to toilet humour. Here goes, courtesy of the BBC write-up…

Local authorities should have a “statutory duty” to provide public toilets, the government has been urged. Some 26 MPs have signed a House of Commons motion arguing that the closure of public lavatories in recent years has been damaging. … The MPs, led by the Lib Dem environment spokesman Tim Farron, are backing a campaign by the British Toilets Association (BTA) for better facilities.

Mr Farron said the fact councils were not compelled to provide toilets

…

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Merlene Emerson

Opinion: Tories’ housing plot uncovered?

By Merlene Emerson | Mon 13th July 2009 - 3:45 pm

The Evening Standard published a bold article last Thursday suggesting that Hammersmith & Fulham Council and the Tory leadership were in a plot reminiscent of the days of Dame Shirley Porter (‘Plot to rid council estates of Poor’, 9 July 2009)

Hammersmith & Fulham Council is currently consulting on their Local Development Framework (LDF) Core Strategy Options which repeatedly refers to a need for ‘decent neighbourhoods’. Neighbourhoods that are currently not ‘decent’ have been identified throughout the borough.

It seems to me that if these neighbourhoods contained homes which do not meet national ‘decent homes standards’ then the Council and Hammersmith & Fulham Homes should be working to bring them up to standard. Where the neighbourhoods have residents who are jobless and on benefits, then the Council has a duty to provide training and improved skills. The solution should not be to demolish and decant whole estates.

The Council has, however, shown a preference for the easy fix by proposing the rebuilding of properties primarily for sale. The only assurance they provide existing residents is that the equivalent number of ‘habitable rooms’ (not number of units) for social renting will be preserved, and this over the next 20 years!

There are two conclusions that we can draw from this. First, many local residents will be without a home in Hammersmith & Fulham in years to come and will be likely to have to seek housing outside of the borough. Second, the Tory Council seems to be focussed on changing the demographics of their voters in this marginal constituency.

The present Labour MP Andrew Slaughter has felt suitably threatened and has raised the alarm claiming to have uncovered a trail of evidence showing possible complicity amongst the leadership of Hammersmith & Fulham Council – the Tory leadership as well as the right wing think tank, Localis – on this subject.

So what can we do about this?

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Alex Foster

Top RSS tips for local campaigners

By Alex Foster | Fri 10th July 2009 - 11:14 am

The attentive amongst you will have spotted amongst the 30 tips from m’colleague Mark Park for aspirant politicians:

Subscribe to at least 20 sites using an RSS reader, 10 of which are not party political. Using an RSS (feed) reader is a huge time-saver and an effective way of keeping up with news and information. But there’s no point just being an expert on party politics if you want to be an elected official.

RSS readers are many and various – my favoured one is Google Reader – and having just returned from engaging in another of Mark’s tips, a week …

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Alex Foster

Opinion: Cameron’s vision for local government is bleak

By Alex Foster | Thu 9th July 2009 - 10:25 am

Last week’s Local Government Association conference was addressed on its final day by three representatives from Westminster who’d made the journey northwards to Harrogate to face the serried ranks of senior local government councillors and officers.

The Lib Dems were represented by Vince Cable MP, given an early morning slot that not everyone got to. He was warmly received by all those who were there, in any case, which may represent that it was just the Lib Dem LGA group present. His speech covered his history as a councillor himself in the early 1970s when local government …

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Mark Pack

The mess enveloping the law over local election candidates

By Mark Pack | Tue 30th June 2009 - 8:50 am

Cross-posted from The Wardman Wire:

The question of who can stand for election to a local council should be clearly defined and easy to understand – so that those new to politics can be candidates, so that voters don’t end up with a false choice where not all the candidates are actually allowed to be candidates and so that elections can be about choices between people and policies, rather than battles between lawyers.

In England and Wales the law was last codified and laid down in the 1972 Local Government Act. With the passage now of nearly forty years, plus frequent subsequent legislation which gave the opportunity to clarify any ambiguities, matters should now be clear.

Alas, though, a combination of poor drafting, changing interpretations and equivocation from the Electoral Commission has left part of the law in an ambiguous mess.

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Mark Pack

LDV interviews … Carl Minns

By Mark Pack | Thu 25th June 2009 - 8:50 am

Carl Minns is the Liberal Democrat leader of Hull City Council. Lib Dem Voice has quizzed him about why he’s in politics, what he’s achieved and how being a Liberal Democrat means he does things differently from other parties.

1. What made you get involved in politics originally?

I was recruited into the party by Lembit Opik at a student rally against tuition fees in 1998. A few weeks later a Lib Dem activist, John Robinson, (now executive member on the council for inward investment) turned up at my house with a bundle of leaflets and a mars bar. The rest, as they say, is history!

2. …

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Mark Pack

The best Standards Commitee ruling, ever

By Mark Pack | Wed 24th June 2009 - 8:50 am

Courtesy of the London Assembly:

On 15 June 2009, the Assessment Sub-Committee of the GLA’s Standards Committee met in private and considered a complaint from Mr Shaun Lee, a member of the public, concerning the conduct of Mr John Biggs, London Assembly Member.

Set out below is a brief and general summary of the complaint:

In a letter dated 23 February, John Biggs’ Personal Assistant responded to correspondence from the Complainant to explain that John Biggs was not related to the Great Train robber, Ronald Biggs.

In response to this, the Complainant wrote to John Biggs on 26 February 2009 demanding an explanation

…

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Also posted in Humour and London | 3 Comments
Stephen Tall

Local elections ’09: the LDV verdict

By Stephen Tall | Sat 6th June 2009 - 9:00 am

What to make of 4th June’s local elections in England, how to sum it up? The clichés are easy: a mixed bag, a curate’s egg, et bloody cetera. The reality is simpler, in my view: Thursday’s local elections were, generally, pretty damn good for the Lib Dems. That’s not to gloss over the disappointments – and, yes, there most definitely were some (of which more, later) – but nor should those setbacks allow us to discount the very clear successes which were achieved either.

Let’s start with the good:

  • 1. The Liberal Democrats came second, with a nationally projected vote according to

…

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The Voice

Official: Tory councils cost you more

By The Voice | Wed 3rd June 2009 - 7:12 pm

Whuch party costs you most in Council Tax? Well, according to the coming year’s figures, it’s Tory-run councils which are levying the biggest increases: a whopping 30 of the top 40 council tax rises have been imposed by the Conservatives. And one of the highest in the country was West Oxfordshire – where none other than David Cameron is the local MP!

And on what, you may ask, are these Tory councils spending these council tax increases? Here are a few choice examples:

· Conservatives on Leicestershire County Council spent £6,000 hooking up …

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Stephen Tall

Lewes Lib Dem councillor defects to Tories

By Stephen Tall | Wed 27th May 2009 - 2:20 pm

Yesterday, my LDV colleague Mark Pack blogged of Labour-to-Lib Dem defector in Merseyside. Alas, this week’s defection news isn’t all cheery for the party:

A Liberal Democrat councillor defected to the Conservatives saying his dedication to his town was not recognised by his old party. Robbie Robertson, who represents Newhaven Valley on Lewes District Council, announced his decision to cross the floor after his party raised council tax by 16% in Newhaven.

He said: “I am a dedicated and hard working councillor but sadly in my present position my skills are not utilised.

“Becoming a councillor was for me

…

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Anders Hanson

Campaign focus: Don’t forget the locals

By Anders Hanson | Sat 23rd May 2009 - 2:30 pm

With all the talk of MPs’ expenses and the European Election campaigns, it is all too easy to forget that in many parts of the country much of the focus is on county and unitary council and mayoral elections.

County council elections tend to be skewed in favour of the Conservatives these days, as many of these councils have now been shorn of their more urban areas and so a lot more rural. The last three county council elections have been on the same day as the general election, and so finally we have a chance of focusing on the …

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