No sooner had the plans for re-opening our high streets been put in place, our test and trace operations started, our strategic recovery groups set up and functioning plus the eagerly anticipated ‘4th of July outdoor drink-fest’ been announced, than we are presented once again with the theatre of devolution and the (allegedly) closely aligned re-organisation of local government.
This is a perennial delight for two-tier local government officers, who must navigate an uncertain course without the aid of a sail, rudder, map or compass.
The forthcoming devolution White Paper is one of those documents that seems to have been in draft for quite some time, and that’s perfectly understandable given the complexities and strong opinions that circulate around the subject.
There will be pros and cons for mayoral/ combined authorities, but it appears to be this Government’s preferred model of governance and therefore must be given due regard in any options that councils intend to consider in not so many months.
The tricky bit comes when that mayoral/combined authority model is directly aligned to re-organisation.
For example, would it be fair or equitable that only two-tier authorities, districts and counties, be included in the re-organisation discussion? Across all types of council, there are many established unitaries that sit well below the magic 300,000 population number, so every corner of England could be affected by the decisions yet to come.
There appears to be a tried and tested sequence of events that leads to successful delivery of plans and ambitions. This comprises a vision and purpose that helps unite competing entities, a strategy that outlines the ambitions, and a plan to deliver supported by the right institutions, structures and financial mechanisms needed to achieve those ambitions.
With a COVID-19, climate and Brexit affected economy looming large, and the extraordinary steps needed to maintain a credible and functioning economic future for everyone’s wellbeing, care should be taken not to start with structures and short- term initiatives, as important as they are.
A future filled with hope, confidence and prosperity for the whole nation must surely be the entry point. That would be a very welcome distraction.
Lawrence Conway is chief executive of South Lakeland DC
