Tim Farron is getting everywhere at the moment. In the last week, we’ve covered pieces from him on fishing and EU reform and surveillance.
He’s now started a semi-regular column on ALDC’s website. In his inaugural edition, he had a right go at Eric Pickles for paying lip service to localism:
Yet again, Mr Pickles has pushed localism in theory but in practice has used this as a tool to deliver cuts which favour Conservative political objectives. He seems perfectly happy to let the Treasury hold sway over policies which are central to his Department, hoping that Help to Buy will tackle a housing crisis. While we wanted houses, and greater powers for local government to deliver them, Eric Pickles focussed on weekly bin collections and a mandate from on high to demand “Localism” – but only when it works for him, and even when it doesn’t work for the local people.
He also talks about housing, in particular the need to “prove to the public that the Tories aren’t right and that Britain can afford truly affordable homes.”
You are only getting tiny snippets because the full thing is only for members of ALDC. However, I would encourage you to join if you are involved in any type of Liberal Democrat campaigning. You will gain access to lots of template literature, advice on how to do literally anything in the world of community politics and campaigning and be able to share all sorts of ideas. ALDC members have a better chance of success in elections, too. There is nothing about this organisation that is not to love. You can sign up here.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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7 Comments
Don’t Pickles’s policies have to be approved by Nick Clegg & Danny Alexander?
Surely, if there was a time for objection, it is when they pass across the desks of the two most senior liberal democrats in government, not after the fact?
g, I think it is quite right to criticise the agendas of some Tory ministers, and it would be quite ludicrous to expect a coalition to be formed on terms that meant no minister ever got to make any progress on their own agenda.
It’s depressing how localism is used to thwart progress in all sorts of areas. For example the excellent Cycling Report coauthored by Julian Huppert http://allpartycycling.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/get-britain-cycling1.pdf was comprehensively consigned to ineffectiveness by localism and the DFT response.
See http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2013/aug/30/government-cycling-policy-failed
Most of the DFT response is slopy shoulder “it was localism wot didn’t do it” or “we’re doing wonderful things already” but somehow nothing happens.
Joe, absolutely fair to criticise the agenda of ministers, but the Lib Dems own his policies as much as he does via Nick and Danny.
g.
Dream on.
David Evans, Liberal Democrat Ministers have collective responsibility for Pickles’s policies.
g
I refer you to my previous answer, and suggest you re-read your previous post.