Local government has had three secretaries of state in three years and for each, the LGA conference has been a baptism of fire, although, of course, delegates are far too well-behaved to trash a newcomer. But this year's incarnation, Hazel Blears, is different. First, one hopes that after Miliband and Kelly, Ms Blears is here to stay a while. More than 12 months would be nice. Second, Ms Blears is highly unusual in having not just been a councillor, but also a council officer and, by all accounts, the experience has not scarred her. She sees the sector with its warts and all, but also how it fits into the bigger picture, and how local government is about delivery on the ground in the way that Whitehall is most definitely not. The LGA audience is unlikely to faze her. Her appointment has been received by local government's chattering classes with enthusiasm. Indeed, there are few other high-profile politicians who could have been so better-suited to the post. In her first few days, it is inevitable that she has been keeping her powder dry, making no comment whatsoever on reorganisation, for example, although in an interview with The MJ she signalled her early priorities. In particular, these are widening public involvement with public service delivery and making the age and ethnic mix of councillors more representative of the public they serve, or less of the ‘male, pale and stale'. On the latter, the Councillors Commission has been consulting widely on finding ways of boosting more public involvement in local politics. It is due to report in November and Ms Blears told The MJ this week that she expected it to be radical. Indeed, the commission must be radical if it is to make any impact. It is already clear that the current system of using low-paid, time-poor volunteers to run multimillion-pound organisations is a prime cause of the unbalanced member profile. An entirely new system using full-time paid cabinets, co-opted members of the public – a la Brown's ‘government of all the talents' – remuneration to ward councillors paid via their employers and fewer back-benchers must be considered. Over to you Hazel. Michael Burton, Editor, The MJ
