It must be August – local government stories are actually making it into the national press.
The collection of weird and wonderful stories on councils trickling into the media in the so-called ‘silly season' is fascinating. This week has seen even the BBC pick up on Fenland DC's innovative move to allow its finance director to work from home – in Australia – in a bid to save cash.
The news we should all shut up shop in the North and move to the South East, on the advice of Tory think-tank, the Policy Exchange, also got more coverage than it would have at any other time of year.
Quirky stories aside, August has become a bit of an opportunity for local government to get its voice heard in a national media which is usually largely uninterested. The LGA's announcement that councils should be taking obese children into care is a good example. It is an important message for parents in councils' fight for public health.
For me, one of the major issues which raised its head this week was the NLGN's latest report on the census. Problems with the population figures have rumbled on for years – and look no closer to being resolved.
The think-tank has put forward some ideas for resolving the problems, and called on the Government to be ‘a little braver'. I have no idea if the solutions are the right ones. What is clear is that councils need the Government to act on this. It is yet another way Whitehall is failing to provide fair funding for local government.
With the finance system bursting at the seams – and no action as yet on Lyons – the very least councils deserve is to have funding based on accurate population figures.
Sad loss of Lord Bruce Lockhart
The death of Lord Bruce Lockhart last week was a huge blow to everyone in local government whose life he touched.
Sandy was an arch moderniser, who was respected across the political divide. The current direction of local government and the improvement agenda owes a great deal to his vision and his work.
His death is a huge loss to his family – but he will also be missed by the whole of the local government family.
Heather Jameson is deputy editor of The MJ
