Two-tier local government can be rife with tension, occasionally peppered with the underlying threat of reorganisation, but more frequently wrangling over fiefdoms, finance and clashing interests.
But there has been a shift since attention has turned to localism and devolution – albeit one that requires an honest conversation about structures, organisation and funding.
Oxfordshire has history in this space, but no more. It had a near-miss with reorganisation when then Prime Minister David Cameron, irked by the county leader speaking out against austerity, threatened to scrap the county and its districts. A last-minute reprieve came when the Brexit referendum pushed Cameron out of office before the deal was done.
Now, it is a different story. Newly-installed county chief executive Dr Martin Reeves and Oxford City Council's Caroline Green are thinking more creatively about the relationships and public services in a place. She says: ‘Effective partnership working is absolutely critical to everything we do and the way we think in Oxfordshire.'
There is an appetite for working with local partners. The Oxford Inclusive Economy Partnership, launched at the start of the year, has more than 100 organisations signed up. ‘It is galvanising partners across the county in the conversation about how we tackle inequalities,' Ms Green explains.
There is, she says, a real recognition from the universities that they have a responsibility to bring their wealth of innovation, imagination, and expertise to help solve some of the social, economic and health problems facing society generally and the communities around them.
Then there is the Future Oxfordshire Partnership, the growth board for the six councils that cover the Oxfordshire footprint and their strategic growth partners.
Dr Reeves describes ‘a guiding coalition, a compelling place narrative' that the partnership offers, bound together by a growth deal focused on a joint vision of what they want for the county, its people and communities. We've got to be able to sell that in a mature way with Government,' he says, citing the ‘amazing anchor institutions… those players who have made this city, the county, their home, and how, by their own admission, have a responsibility to shape that place.'
It is local place shaping, carried out by institutions with a global reputation for innovation. The two partnerships are indicative of the approach the two chiefs and their local colleagues take across Oxfordshire.
Dr Reeves enthuses: ‘Just imagine if, together in partnership, we shifted 5% of what we're doing on spending in this area, then you start to shift the dial.'
It's a vision perhaps rooted in the last Labour Government's Total Place policies – which attempted to join up public services across a place – and solidified in the subsequent Conservative Government's move towards devolution.
Counting down the months to the General Election, Dr Reeves is aware of the time pressure to get an offer in to central Government, a plan for devolution.
Coming in new to the county, he says it has been ‘quite humbling' and has given him a fresh perspective on what could be achieved. ‘I am fascinated about how we can work together…how you can think differently about our roles,' he says. ‘How we can bring everyone's health and wellbeing up and think about how we really deliver something different across the county.'
Beyond that, there is the chance to expand the relationships further to surrounding counties, working on building alliances across to Cambridge and Cambridgeshire – the growth corridor that has eluded central Government attempts to solidify it.
It is an attempt to tackle economic growth, social determinants, health inequalities, long-term sickness, the cost of living crisis – all the so-called wicked issues facing public services – agnostic of structures or geographical boundaries.
Modern economies and delivering productivity are, he says, about understanding the power of what you have in your area – in this case Oxfordshire. Rather than thinking solely about the advantages of connecting to London, it is about the places around you.
‘Supply chain businesses and, increasingly because of the pandemic, skills and labour, do not stop at boundaries,' he says. ‘Therefore, the excitement in a global economy and the power of what we have got in Oxfordshire is to understand that relationship.'
Ms Green agrees and adds: ‘This is not just about promoting growth for growth's sake.' As a net contributor to the UK economy, that would happen in Oxfordshire regardless. ‘We have got to do this in a way that not only protects further damage, but starts to repair our natural environment… [and] make sure the people of Oxfordshire feel the benefits.'
And there are benefits for staff too, offering young, talented people the chance to work across systems on intractable problems without getting bogged down with issues like terms and conditions.
When it comes down to it, Dr Reeves says, there are a series of questions to be answered: ‘What do we need to do for our people? What is the strategy, what's the delivery mechanism? What resources do we require to deliver it? Can that be delivered by atomisation?
‘The only way you can deliver the amazing outcomes we've got is by working collaboratively across an area. I think it's exciting.'
