Public trust in politicians and the institutions of government has never been lower, opinion surveys tell us. And while local government has some way to go before we reach the subterranean levels of national politicians, we should aspire to more than being merely the least-despised arm of the body politic. We need to switch our focus from promoting local services to promoting local government and the role of elected local representatives as champions for their area. We need to demonstrate to people that the best way to get change in their neighbourhoods is to work through their local councillors and empower those councillors with the tools and skills to use the machinery of government effectively. I've just seen a great example in my own local authority. A long-running problem about water pressure in a social housing block had gone unresolved as the buck was passed between Thames Water and our ALMO. Finally, a special scrutiny committee meeting was called at which both organisations were called to account. The meeting was also addressed by some of the affected residents, assisted by their ward councillors. One mother spoke of having to wake her children at 4am to bathe them, as that was the only time she could be sure of getting more than a trickle out of the tap. As a result of the hearing, a solution is in sight, and Thames Water has promised to supply a minimum pressure of 1.5 bar at all times. It was a great example of how the system can be made to work. A Conservative committee chairman and Labour ward councillors combined to use the machinery of governance effectively to achieve what the residents on their own could not. Just one small example out of thousands across the country. It's the governance, stupid!
