Give back control of local affairs to the people

Successive governments have increasingly taken control of the most Important aspects that affect people’s daily lives – policing, education, health, potholes.

Local councillors, who have the greatest knowledge of the needs of their communities, have little power over their decisions.

The voters know how powerless their local council is.

This, in part, explains why the turnout at the last local elections was only 35% – compared with 69% at the last general election.

Local elections feel pointless.

To regain the trust of the people, politicians must return control to the people through their local councils.

Local people, through their councils, must be responsible for the prosperity and wellbeing of their communities.

Councils must have full control of their services and how and where their people’s money is spent.

Some areas are poorer than others. So there should an Equalisation Fund to make sure all councils have the resources to provide good services.

Councils must be much smaller so that they are close to the people – and so local people can identify with them as ‘my local council’. This will help to rebuild a feeling of community.

And this will help ministers in Westminster because they will be free to focus on the many serious challenges that face the country.

Public services will improve with the focus of thousands of councillors, instead of a handful of overworked Ministers.

Community will be strengthened. Voters will re-engage with local politics when they feel there is local control and they can hold their elected politicians accountable.

Take back control - READ our report on Decentralisation