Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables and exhibits
- Preface
- one Parties and politics in local government: ‘the elephant in the room’?
- two The national parties and local government
- three Modernisation, democratic renewal and elected mayors
- four Local executive government: the impact of the ‘cabinet and leader’ model
- five Councillors: servants of the people?
- six The changing role of local political leadership
- seven The dynamics of party groups
- eight The dynamics of inter-party relations
- nine The role of local party networks
- ten The future of political parties in local government
- References
- Index
ten - The future of political parties in local government
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 January 2022
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables and exhibits
- Preface
- one Parties and politics in local government: ‘the elephant in the room’?
- two The national parties and local government
- three Modernisation, democratic renewal and elected mayors
- four Local executive government: the impact of the ‘cabinet and leader’ model
- five Councillors: servants of the people?
- six The changing role of local political leadership
- seven The dynamics of party groups
- eight The dynamics of inter-party relations
- nine The role of local party networks
- ten The future of political parties in local government
- References
- Index
Summary
An new era of modernisation?
At the time of the completion of the revision of this book (January 2006), the third successive Labour government had been in power for just over six months, following its election victory in May 2005.
Labour's first term of office (1997-2001) had provided a sustained, coherent and fairly comprehensive attempt to change the way in which local government and its democratic institutions worked (see Pratchett, 2002). By contrast, Labour's second term was characterised by a wealth of central government initiatives affecting local government but very little in the way of coherence. The one big idea to emerge from an otherwise insubstantial 2001 White Paper (DLTR, 2001) was the introduction of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) system, whereby all local authorities have been classified as excellent, good, fair, weak, or poor, as a result of annual or biannual Audit Commission inspections, a system which still operates in 2006, albeit in modified form.
The reshuffle that followed the May 2005 General Election, however, appears to have ushered in a new era of local government modernisation coupled with a new vitality and dynamism in the reform process. Central to this new verve has been the appointment of David Miliband in a new Cabinet post as Minister for Communities and Local Government. As the Local Government Chronicle (12 May 2005, p 1) reported his appointment:
Local government has moved towards the centre stage of Labour's third term with the appointment of high-flying moderniser David Miliband.… The Local Government Association hopes Mr Miliband can reverse the undermining of localist initiatives caused by the ODPM's [Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s] lack of influence across Whitehall.
The inclusion in the new minister's title of the word ‘communities’ signifies an important departure in his post, away from an exclusive concern with the formal institutions of local government and towards a much wider attention to all things local. If the title is to be believed, Miliband will provide a new focus and drive for building sustainable communities across the country, working with local government and other agencies where necessary. It appears, however, that much of the focus will be on community units beneath the level of local government, even though a principal part of the agenda for local government itself is likely to be the creation of larger unitary structures, through the subdivision of existing counties or the amalgamation of existing districts (see below).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Changing Role of Local Politics in Britain , pp. 199 - 208Publisher: Bristol University PressPrint publication year: 2006