A cursory glance at the electoral map of the south of England outside London may make the casual observer wonder what difference these scattered bands of Labour councillors can practically make to the places they live in and the people they serve. However, in Oxford, Plymouth and Exeter, Labour-controlled councils are making a real difference on the frontline.
Through being on the doorstep and listening to our communities, we as councillors are delivering real change. Where we are in control, we are putting our communities at the heart of our policies, while being hit with massive and regressive budget cuts. Equally, for those of us currently in opposition, scrutiny and negotiation are essential tools in protecting our frontline services.
However, whether we are in control or in opposition how we, as Labour councillors, meet and overcome the financial challenges placed on our communities by this irresponsible Tory-led government will be crucial in securing electoral gains in 2014 and 2015.
To meet the challenge of how to do more with less, we must be the pioneers of a new and innovative approach to local government. We have to show there is a better, socially responsible and aspirational alternative. From introducing the living wage as we did from opposition in Gloucester to establishing an energy cooperative in Labour-controlled Plymouth, we can and we must show national government what localised decision-making can do.
Yet this is just the start. Up and down the country Labour councillors are putting new ideas into action and a future Labour government would do well to look to its local councillors for ideas and examples of how deliver services when financial challenges are great.
True and effective localism can only be achieved if those who actually know and understand their community engage with it. As councillors we know our wards and surrounding areas well. After all, we live and work in them. We understand the specific social, economic and geographical challenges our constituents face because we deal with them in our everyday lives. That is how Labour councillors are able to deliver bold Labour ideas in a pragmatic way.
People don’t like politicians much at the moment but they recognise and understand what councils do and that councillors are able to get things done. They can phone, email, tweet or catch their local councillor in the supermarket and get an answer. They expect councils to deliver their services in a way that suits their life, their community and their needs.
Ensconced in Whitehall, Eric Pickles has forgotten his roots as a city councillor in Bradford and, worse still, he has failed to realise that a top down approach to localism will ultimately fail. The communities secretary continues to pronounce on how we should collect refuse or manage our parking services, closed to the bold ideas that would deliver better services to our communities.
It is the duty of Labour councillors to keep the door open for new ideas by being at the forefront of openness and accessibility. From tweeting and webcasting decision-making, to passing on money to the communities we serve, we make a difference and we are keen to do more.
Coalition localism bypasses councils and is haphazard in its effects, but a place-based strategy which links the town hall with other services that are delivered in our communities could achieve greater efficiency and, more importantly, better results. Labour has an opportunity to offer communities genuine control over their destinies by trusting local government to do more.
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Kate Haigh is leader of Gloucester Labour group. She tweets @katehaigh and is a member of Labour’s Local Government Innovation Taskforce, which has launched a call for evidence – contributions welcome.
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Pretty thin on ideas. Tory localism is about making cuts, and letting local people choose which cuts. They are wasting £millions on “All Together Better” in West Cheshire – but in truth it is just rebranding a few things, with some improved co-ordination with other agencies. (Although we share different services with so many different neighbouring councils it is hard to see how this helps co-ordination.) Our Tory council give every Cllr £10k to spend in their area each year – that is £750k spent at the whim of councillors, with no overall priorities. Of course the Tory areas don’t have many competing demands on this money – they spend it on new flower baskets for the lamp posts, or a booklet entitled “a walk around the village”. One even funded a local group campaigning for the Council to reject a housing planning application. We have about 2000 staff earning below the living wage, and they have cut all enhancements for weekend, bank holiday and overtime work – so all the women doing 24/7 care work have had huge pay cuts. The Tories hide behind terms like “new and innovative” as they outsource everything to firms paying the minimum wage. They are using Community Interest Companies as a half way house as they try to force staff to set up “mutuals”. Of course there is no interest because as soon as the staff take over the work the Council will squeeze the contract funding and force the staff to cut their own pay and conditions in order to keep the contract. A return to properly funded and well managed in-house services, with well trained and fairly paid staff is what we need – not vague notions of pioneering innovative councils.