The new chief executive of the LGA, ex-British Coal manager, Paul Coen, believes the association needs to get out more among its members, as he tells Michael Burton The new – and only the second – chief executive of the LGA ought to fit easily into a pigeon hole. He worked for Hertfordshire CC, was a county chief, and comes from the North East – just like his predecessor. Observers of the local government scene might even conclude that the LGA had decided to appoint a successor in the same mould of Sir Brian Briscoe, as a safe pair of hands. If so, then look more closely. First, Paul Coen does not come from the traditional finance or legal local government background more usual for his generation of chief executives. He has got his hands dirty, spending 13 years in purchasing at British Coal, and had a strong procurement and business background before moving into local government as head of commercial services. Nor has his career exactly been presiding over entrenched town hall bureaucracies. His former employer, Surrey CC, recently hired Sir Peter Gershon himself to look at efficiency savings within the county. Only 12 months ago, Mr Coen moved to four-star CPA Essex CC, led by the ubiquitous Westminster Tory networker, Lord Hanningfield. Doubtless the peer and Mr Coen, a father of four and grandfather of three, believed they were a long-term item until Sir Brian officially announced, last December, that he was quitting and the top job at the LGA was up for grabs. So why did Mr Coen, only installed at Essex in January 2005, decide he wanted the post? He tells The MJ: ‘It’s an incredibly exciting time and here was this opportunity to have a national influence, advocate the more local approach, and take the LGA on to the next phase.’ And what exactly is the next phase for the LGA? On this, the new chief executive, who started on 19 June, is clear. ‘The LGA has achieved a huge amount, but there are big challenges. We need to be certain we’re giving value for money for members.’ Asked if he would like to give a CPA-style star rating for the LGA as an organisation, he demurs, saying the CPA is not necessarily the best yardstick. The sub-text is that there are major challenges, internally and externally, ahead, and the association needs to meet them. It must be more customer-focused to its members and less London-centric. His first day was spent visiting Barnsley, to prove the point. On the next day he met the LGA staff Mr Coen constantly emphasises the importance of membership and, indeed, the role of member councils as providing practical examples of where local government is delivering on the ground. His argument is that ‘the best advocacy is demonstration’. The LGA has recently undergone major internal changes, as it becomes a leaner, fiercer lobbying group, with a sense of urgency about its mission. There are new posts in finance and performance, as well as programme directors in policy. It coincides with the Lyons review, discussion about life after CPA, and a White Paper. There is a real optimistic sense that a head of steam has built up about the need to devolve powers locally and slash the inspection burden. But there are also problems. The Government has sprouted two heads in Brown and Blair, and lobbyists such as the LGA have to deal with both sides. The Treasury opposes any reform which costs money. Number 10, as part of the Blair legacy, wants radical change right now. The local government White Paper is one of the toys the two sides are currently arguing over and somehow, the LGA has to ensure its message percolates through to both warring parties, not to mention Her Majesty’s official Opposition. The challenge for the LGA, therefore, is both internal, to ensure that its own organisation is ‘fit for purpose’, and second, external, that the head of steam for localism does not dissipate in Whitehall. ‘The LGA is in an extremely strong position to move forward but it must move forward,’ says Mr Coen. ‘We are at a tipping point. We mustn’t be describing, but demonstrating.’ He believes the major task is to pursue the drive for localism. ‘We’ve had to deal with centralisation for two generations and the next phase is about local-ness. Whether we’ll see significant steps in the short term is a question, but we should work to bring that about. ‘Actually, I’m hugely optimistic that long term, the tide is moving in our direction.’ He is, however, sceptical that proposed reductions in regulation will actually be meaningful, believing that assessments of children’s services and joint area reviews are ‘incredibly burdensome’. He adds: ‘There is an entrenched view in Whitehall that leads to detailed and needless regulation on local government.’ One of the biggest obsessions of council members is whether there will be restructuring. Mr Coen is against any forced reform, whether it be in two-tier areas or city regions. He argues that local government cannot complain about government centralisation on the one hand, and then not allow diversity of tiers itself. ‘We can’t complain about the Government’s one-size-fits-all policy and then advocate exactly that for ourselves.’ He concludes: ‘There are great unitaries and poor ones. Structure by itself guarantees nothing, and changes in structure are costly and disruptive.’ n
