Southampton is key for the future of Local Government
8th February 2007
Alan Whitehead today addressed the Local Government Association Conference to present the way forward for local government and set out some of the challenges that lie ahead. He then answered questions from the Conference delegates.
The conference which was held in the Local Government House Conference Centre, London, was also addressed by the Rt Hon Ruth Kelly, Communities and Local Government Minister, and Lord Bruce Lockhart, Chairman of the Local Government Association.
Dr Whitehead used his speech to argue that the debate over the power of local government has largely been won and that greater devolution was now the way forward. However, there remain questions as to how this will be achieved. He also proposed that the way forward for local governments such as Southampton was in one sense simple, in that a greater, continuing and sustained process of providing greater devolution of decision-making and ability to represent and champion the places that local government inhabits was needed.
In his speech Dr Whitehead said:
“The role and importance of towns and cities, such as Southampton which I represent, in the economic wellbeing not only of themselves but of the sub regions in which they sit is crucial and needs to be central in any future development of local government. This can only be achieved by a collaboration between local and central government in a way that is not handed down from on high or even via the regions, which in themselves are often drawn up for administrative convenience, and not because they represent real communities of interest. Collaboration has to come from the free will of local participants and will not be productive coming from a government circular.
There also needs to be an appreciation of the value that local authorities bring to local decisions which cannot be replicated by a framework of targets and indicators.”
He added after the event:
“Local government faces many challenges in sustainability, finance, transport, energy just to name a few but these are challenges that can only be properly met by local government and local initiatives if they are to prove successful. Cities like Southampton will be central to this new vision of local government in representing and driving forward their own sub regions, and already the partnership for urban South Hampshire involving 11 local authorities in the Solent area is helping to show the way forward.”