Watch out for the next trap If there's one thing worse than being talked about, it's not being talked about, and local government can hardly complain on that score these last few weeks. Barely had the new LGA's chief executive, John Ransford, had time to clear away his predecessor's paper clip tray than he was hauled off to Radio 4's Today programme this Tuesday morning to fend off the flak for all the snow. And that followed an appearance on Channel 4 News the night before. Not bad profile for someone just a week into the job. But it is also reflective of how much local government is in the headlines, admittedly, mainly at the receiving end. The national media hunts in a pack, and once a hare is set running, the pack chases it to the bitter end. The chase began with the Iceland bank losses saga last October – when the LGA's then chief, Paul Coen, had a more uncomfortable time on the Today programme – but was then fuelled by the Baby P case. This generated the most hostile coverage of local government since the days of the poll tax. When the blizzard hit London and the South East earlier this week, the pack was ready to sink its teeth into town halls, again on the basis that once again, they had made another monumental cock-up. This time the talk was not of child protection, case loads and multi-agency working, but of gritting trucks and salt supplies. Overall, it is fair to say local government got its message across that this was a rare event, and councils had done their best to prepare. So on to the next elephant trap. The CPA looms in early March, and there will certainly be many more one-star performers than last year, when there were just two. Overall, ratings will drop, ending the ever-upward increase which has occurred each year since the CPA was launched. The temptation by its detractors will be to blame local government for a drop in performance, or at least for a decline in children's services, which hit some councils' CPA ratings. Either way, it will be another knocking story. Better get that seat warmed again at Today, John... Michael Burton, Editor, The MJ
