It comes as no surprise to learn about the tensions between the national Conservative Party – in particular, the office of the Shadow DCLG secretary Caroline Spelman – and local Conservatives (p1). These may have been acerbated by the sweeping gains made in this month's local elections, with local Tories now, effectively, a Government-in-exile, with the flexing of muscles and influence on their national party that goes with it. But, actually, these tensions were in evidence months ago over the unitary bids. While Conservative Party policy was to oppose reorganisation, many county Tories were, indeed are, firmly in favour of county unitaries. The County Councils Network conference in Newquay last November was awash with rumours of arm-twisting and threats of de-selection, although Conservative county leaders were tight-lipped on the record. But these tensions will have to be resolved if the Conservatives are to capitalise on their local electoral successes. They will also, as I pointed out in this Comment slot in the issue of 10 May, have to ensure more joining up between the policies of local and national Tories. The Opposition's recent campaign against Lyons and any tinkering of council tax certainly garnered headlines but was unhelpful in revealing just what a Conservative Government would do about the vexed subject of local government finance. Indeed, in Viewpoint this week (p11) Ms Spelman takes us little further on this subject when she devotes her article to attacking any idea of revaluation, even though ministers have already made it clear this has been kicked into the long grass. While one can understand that at this stage in the national electoral cycle, the Conservatives are in demolition mode, ripping apart government policies rather than supplying alternatives, the problem is that locally, they are the Government. They are the power in the land, not Labour or the Lib Dems. The Conservatives dominate English councils and the LGA. But they must make it plain to their Westminster colleagues that as a result, they have the right to influence, even determine, national policy to local government. Michael Burton, Editor, The MJ
