I have no idea what Prince Charles thinks about local government, but he cannot have been over-impressed by the comments made at a Clarence House seminar last week, organised by his youth charity the Prince's Trust. In a Q and A session which took place as he sat in the front row, councils were described as slow to react, obsessed with form-filling, disengaged from young people, and reluctant to spend on youth leisure facilities. The CLG minister present even described them as run by ‘fuddy-duddies' (see story opposite). The seminar's chairman, newscaster George Alagiah, in his summing-up had to admit that ‘there has been lots of criticisms of local government.' But he also noted that responsibility for helping young people was more down to local than central government. In fact, Prince's Trust chief executive, Martina Milburn, said afterwards that in her view, the criticisms were unfair and that her relations with councils were good. Another speaker, Ted Cantle, who led the review into the 2001 riots in Oldham, Burnley and Bradford, pointed out that councils did not have statutory duties to provide certain youth leisure facilities. Prince Charles identified the causes of alienated youth as down to lack of self-esteem and lack of challenge at the crucial age of adolescence turning into adulthood. He even said youths who joined gangs were ‘crying out for help.' It's unlikely that councils are in a position right now to lay on outward bound courses or adventure holidays – but maybe, funds willing, they should. It could save a fortune if it reduces crime. Congratulations to the LGA The LGA has made a wise decision in appointing John Ransford as chief executive, and I say that not just because he is one of our distinguished regular columnists. Apart from his personal qualifications for the post, he is regarded as a safe pair of hands, a valuable attribute when turmoil rages without, and to a lesser extent within, Local Government House. It also means the LGA need not be distracted by a long search for a successor to Paul Coen at a time when all focus should be on the external agenda.
