Novemeber 2009

MY PATCH MEETS THE COUNTRY’S YOUNGEST CABINET MEMBER

WHERE HAVE ALL THE COUNCILLORS GONE?

TRANSITION TOWN TOTNES

LOCA L GO VERNMENT INFORMATI ON UNIT

Supported by Contents

EDITOR Alan Pickstock DEPUTY EDITOR Jane Sankarayya DESIGN www.whateverdesign.co.uk 22 COVER PHOTO Philip Wolmuth Contributors Jasmine Ali is head of LGiU’s Children’s Services Network, David Brindle is public services editor of the Guardian Matthew Cain is a blogger and former constituency Labour party chair Samena Chaudhry is a specialist registrar in trauma and orthopaedics in the West Midlands Andrew Collinge is LGiU’s director of policy and public affairs Mark D’Arcy is a Parliamentary correspondent for BBC news 14 32 Chris Game is with the Institute of Local Government Studies Glyn Gaskarth is an LGiU policy analyst 3 The first word 12 Children and 24 Environment Stephen Howlett is chief executive of G A look at what’s in this issue G Suffolk’s aim to be the Peabody young people G Reality Check – Dave Wilcox greenest county Jonathan Isaby is co-editor of G It’s time to be positive about young ConservativeHome.com people Joyce Lee is an LGiU policy analyst 26 Environment Victoria McManus is a freelance journalist 4 A forward look G Joyce Lee reports on a Chris Mead has recently retired as IT G Andrew Collinge – ideas from the 13 Policing director of the City of Berkeley, California roundtable discussion about Sustainable Communities Act G Andy Sawford is LGiU chief executive John Whelan suggests adaptation G Mark Smulian is a freelance journalist Andy Sawford on Total Place neighbourhood policing could be Alan Waters is an LGiU policy analyst more effective 28 Innovation John Whelan is leader of the Conservative 5 Another View Group on Lambeth Council and an IDeA G Local government’s bursting Member Peer G 14 My Patch Alan Waters on the ghost of with ideas Dave Wilcox is chair of the LGiU and Charles Dickens at the party G Brent councillor Hayley Matthews Derbyshire county councillor conferences Charles Wright is a freelance journalist 29 Broader 17 Councillor 7 Media Watch Horizons conference G David Brindle – on the gap G Dave Wilcox on the fall of the created by vanishing local papers G Andy Sawford looks ahead to the Berlin wall LGiU’s C’llr 10 conference 8 Party Conferences 30 LGiU’s survey 18 Employment and G Andy Sawford reports on local LOCA L GO VERNMENT of members INFORMATI ON UNIT government at the party training conferences G Andrew Collinge on what you G Stephen Howlett on helping people think of us into training and employment 9 Profile 31 Elections The MJ is the leading news weekly for G Mark D’Arcy talks to Dan Rogerson local government senior managers and 19 Reorganisation MP about devolution for Cornwall G The case for and against members. Its publishers, the Hemming G The birth of Central Bedfordshire Group Ltd, also produce the Municipal counting through the night Year Book, Surveyor, RDA News and the website LocalGov.co.uk For further 10 Health information on subscriptions, editorial 20 Reorganisation 32 Postcard from or advertising contact Amanda Murray G Samena Chaudhry argues against G Chris Game on the cull of councillors on 020 7973 6668. cutting junior doctors’ hours Berkeley Local Government Information Unit G Chris Mead on the US 22 Upper Woburn Place 11 Children’s services 22 Environment healthcare debate London WC1H OTB G Victoria McManus on transition 020 7554 2800 G Jasmine Ali on influencing [email protected] election policy town Totnes

2 THE FIRST WORD s e g a REALITY CHECK m

I REMEMBER WHEN... n o i t a i c o s s A s s e r P / e v i h c r A A P / A P

Political football

The eyes of many in local government are now on the run up to June 2010. Indeed, increasingly the focus of not just politicians, but of the people of the world is intensifying. As one of the lucky winners in the post code lottery for World Cup tickets, I’ve had my eyes on South Africa for sometime. Fortunately, a couple of airlines were slow in recognising the potential profits a soccer tournament offers to those that fly into Johannesburg. Travelling there via Athens and Cairo is an opportunity rather than a challenge to a seasoned traveller. I watch football because being a fan is good preparation for belonging to a political party. The tragedy for a Manchester City supporter like me is that …nobody was quite sure what sort of paper the exciting new soaraway Sun would be. Here’s Rupert Murdoch Labour’s fortunes are inversely related to those of my inspecting a copy of an early edition as it came of the presses in 1969. Who could have guessed at the influence team. Success for the blues and defeat for the reds has that paper was going to have? connotations beyond the pitch. But the similarities don’t end there. I had the privilege of being in South Korea when the host nation played Italy in 2002. On that occasion the ref was a homer, the Italians were robbed and the winning In this issue of c’llr golden goal was scored by a forward whose day job was playing for Perugia. ell, that’s another round of party seriously local government is taking the issue: The club dispensed with his services the following conferences over and done with. They Victoria McManus reports on Totnes, which is the day, and in retrospect probably saved his life. Even a world’s first transition town; Mark Smulian hears Wwere all very important, of course, but populist version of the Italian political philosopher didn’t you yearn for a bit of excitement? A Neil about Suffolk’s plans to be the greenest county; and Machiavelli’s “The Prince,” couldn’t have crafted a Kinnock militant-bashing moment? A Michael Joyce Lee reports on an LGiU roundtable where Portillo SAS moment? Or even a young William councillors came together to discuss adaptation. believable novel akin to the cut, thrust and drama of Hague socking-it-to-them moment or a certain Lady that game and the episodes that followed. not being for turning? And, still on the subject of elections, we’ve asked And so to the big events in Britain in 2010. two eminent bloggers, Jonathan Isaby and Matthew Who will win, and can England do it? I’ve no doubt, Cain to put the cases for and against ending the Maybe the drama wasn’t there as in days of old, that if there is a coincidence of events, it will be the Cup but as Andy Sawford reports in this issue, there was tradition of counting the votes through the night. and not the General Election that makes the front pages a lot for local government to think about – not least Bloggers also get a mention in David Brindle’s of the red tops. 40 years ago I watched England, World where the cuts will fall, because one thing they all media watch, as he suggests that more councillors agreed about was that cuts are on the way. Alan could turn to blogging to help them reach constituents Cup holders, beaten by Germany in Mexico. A couple of Waters has his unique take on the events of who have lost their local papers. weeks later Ted Heath won the Election. To this day I’m Bournemouth, Brighton and Manchester, and he convinced it was that World Cup defeat what finished Crime is going to stay on everybody’s agendas, too. recalls Mr McCawber’s recipe for economic prosperity. Harold Wilson. The subject of our My Patch feature, Hayley For Jasmine Ali, the impending election offers an So this time round I’m rooting for Switzerland to opportunity for all those concerned with children’s Matthews, who is the country’s youngest cabinet win. If Gordon Brown’s assault on his opponents’ lack services to lobby for influence in party agendas. member with the crime prevention and public safety portfolio. John Whelan also looks at policing, of economic credibility fails, it may be Labour’s best Whoever wins the election, there’s no getting away suggesting that greater police commitment to working chance. That and the rabbit’s foot. from the urgency to deal with climate change. We with local councillors could improve the effectiveness have three articles in this issue that show how of neighbourhood policing. Dave Wilcox is chair of the LGiU

3 FORWARD LOOK ANDY SAWFORD

Essex bids to set local standards

Thoughts on LGiU director of Policy Andrew Collinge sums up the Total Place Sustainable Communities Act: innovation, Have you ever conducted a ‘deep dive’. I thought it challenge and some uncertainty. was something that would involve an oxygen tank and flippers, but apparently it can be done in the comfort of a council finance department. When I first heard about the Total Place pilots, 12 of them around the country, backed by £5 million he deadline for the first round of proposals Agency. Others include the Environment Agency, from central government, I was a sceptic. The idea is under the Sustainable Communities Act is Sport England and English Heritage. sound: that we can deliver better value for the Tnow behind us. The act is trumpeted as an What happens in the case of failure reveals a opportunity for councils to put forward radical strong localist ambition. The County Council will taxpayer by looking at the totality of local public suggestions about how to improve economic, be empowered to develop ways of ensuring services spending. Councils only directly account for around a environmental and social well-being in their are delivered locally through appropriate local third of spending when you add in other areas such communities – essentially to improve the lives of local providers, partnerships or bringing them under the as the police, health services and benefits. The LGiU people – which fall outside of the existing wellbeing control of democratically elected councils. powers and require action by national government. That an authority like Essex, already well known has made the argument that it is wrong in principle Bids with the best chance of success will be those for forays into the world of Post Offices and banks, for only a small proportion of local spending to be which include meaningful community input. Local is straining at the leash for all things local is hardly under democratic control. But we also make a people are best acquainted with their community and a revelation. It is in part a response to a government- practical case that we could deliver better value know what needs to be done to fix it. in-waiting’s apparent willingness to break up the Submissions are interesting because some are quango state to help bring public spending under services by combining resources at a local level. genuinely innovative and give us a glimpse of the control, but also a show of leadership ambition My scepticism is because I thought the scale of future, but also because they show how parts of which responds to the gap between central party the Total Place programme is too timid at a time local government want that future to look. rhetoric and the realities of policy making in when all councils and other public service providers Particularly eye-catching among the six proposals government. to emerge from Essex County Council was one There is also something neatly and considerably need to be looking at fundamental transformation which asks the Secretary of State to allow the challenging in the Essex proposal, which again and reconfiguration of services, to meet the financial authority to negotiate and then enforce a set of local resonates with national messages around examining strictures of the times, and address the major performance standards for central government the future of certain organisations. It uses a central societal and environmental challenges we face, from agencies and non-departmental government bodies theme in the Audit Commission’s new – quangos to you and me. Comprehensive Area Assessment – the ability of a climate change to demographic change. The thinking is as follows. It is every council’s council to understand how local public services Now having heard from some of the pilots I have responsibility to ensure the highest standards and combine to provide the best local outcomes – to a more positive view of Total Place. I can live without maximum responsiveness across all services which justify a more effective local assessment in its place, the language of ‘deep dives’ into where and how affect quality of life. The work of many organisations stripping the national regulator of a major beyond the council can have an impact on local responsibility in the process. money is spent in different service areas, but I do communities. Better that these bodies are subject to So, curiosities pricked by the submissions, what welcome the learning that can be shared across local locally determined performance requirements, decided we really want to know are what are the chances government as a whole. From how to get at the data, with partners, than an array of targets designed to of their contents being accepted and becoming a to how to use it, the Total Place pilots may yet prove feed a centralised performance management machine. reality in the near future. This is the point at which The agreement and enforcement of minimum we seem to enter into a rather open ended invaluable. It is only a few months in and the pilot standards is an extension of the existing scrutiny arrangement. There is no public deadline for the councils are already excited about the potential. But function, albeit one which requires changes to LGA’s selection process, nor is there one for the next there is one thing I am sure about still: if your legislation, which is a key aspect of the act. stage, the Secretary of State’s response to selected council isn’t already looking across the board at So which organisations would fall under Essex’s bids. Perhaps most befuddling is the lack of a stated local performance management plan? There are those commitment to invite bids next year, the year after, other local public spending, start now. Without the about which the national opposition is in broader or indeed anytime soon. For local government not Total Place backing it may be harder to make terms at best agnostic, such as the Homes and to see the Sustainable Communities Act as another progress, but it will be worth it. Communities Agency, and the Regional Development false dawn, stronger assurances are required.

4 ANOTHER VIEW Whatever happened to Tiny Tim?

Ten years ago, as we marched towards the millennium, no speech was complete without a phrase that looked to the future, writes Alan Waters. Local government, like everyone else in government was preparing for, planning services for and had a vision for ‘the 21st Century’.

he political parties sought to capitalise on this mood of expectation. ‘New Labour – New TBritain’ and more briefly, ‘Cool Britannia’. The Conservatives changed the iron-shod arm holding a flaming torch to the soft pastels of a tree in full-leaf making a vague gesture in favour of sustainability – a very 21st Century concept. The wispy phoenix of the Liberal Democrats floated into the new age. But nothing dates like the future. The firm jaw line of resolution staring into the middle distance can quickly look like the sagging face lift of uncertainty. Spike Milligan once observed that ‘Queen Victoria died in 1960’. Wrong. Such is the pull of the Victorian age that we can never quite let it go; it is our natural default position. Contemporary Britain – or rather England – is measured against the version of the Victorian era which came with the trappings of Empire; a massive navy and Lancashire as the benefit claimants would be introduced. ‘Troops to found in other novels. Certainly those who have workshop of the world. For the politicians who teachers’ were to instil discipline in feral children, experienced the performance management regimes populate this particular version of history the on the basis, to paraphrase Mao, that education of the last two decades may see some parallels with present can only disappoint: like England football comes out of ‘the barrel of a gun’. Harold Wilson, Dickens 1854 novel – ‘Hard Times’. fans, for which every World Cup has been an anti- a ‘modernising Labour Prime-Minister of the While held up by some as using an almost climax since the triumph of 1966. 1960s’ spoke of the ‘last carbolic whispers of the socialist perspective to develop themes of deprivation Well Victorian values were out in force at the party Victorian Age’. He spoke too soon; this year the and hardship in a northern town (based on Preston, conferences. The Victorian era – like any period of 19th Century was well and truly back shouting at which he visited in 1854) Dickens was also writing history – is complex but most of us see the age the top of its voice. a treatise on imagination versus utilitarianism. through the prism of Dicken’s novels – or more likely Dickens, I think, would have been depressed by Gradgrind has two children who he brings up with television adaptations of his most popular books. the attacks on the vulnerable his philosophy of facts and numbers ruling the world. When it came to pronouncements on economic His writing empathized with the poor and While the children love one another, they desire the policy Mr McCawber stalked all the conference helpless and mocked or criticised the selfish, the ability to share affection beyond their little unit of two. platforms. Obscure mathematical formulae – which greedy, and the cruel. Dickens makes a compelling case that life outside the no one really understood – that drove the financial Once attacked over ‘Oliver Twist’ for world of number crunching brings generosity and markets over the edge of a cliff – have been portraying villains, child thieves and prostitutes the hope for us all. Will CAA I wonder do the same? replaced with the inane simplicities of Mr novelist retorted: No tour of the works of Dickens can be complete McCawber’s recipe for economic prosperity: “I saw no reason why the very dregs of life should without his most famous work – A Christmas Carol. “Annual income twenty pounds, annual not serve the purpose of a moral”. Familiar to everyone is the scene where the ghost of expenditure nineteen and six, result happiness. The main moral of the story was to point out the Christmas future shows Scrooge Tiny Tim’s wooden Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure shortcomings of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, stool and eloquent lone crutch besides an empty twenty pounds ought and six, result misery”. which further condemned impoverished men, women grate. But if we were writing the ending for the ‘hard In short: a Charles Dicken’s character instead of and children to a life of misery in the workhouse. times’ to come, the plot might go something like this: Keynes as our economic guide. That wasn’t the end Local government of course features most Scrooge: (a tear welling in his eye) “has Tiny of it. Conference speeches treated us to a parade of notably in novels like Oliver Twist. Tim died”? Dickensian characters of a very unsavoury kind. The 1834 Poor Law was, after all, the The Ghost of Christmas Future: “not dead; just That perennial favourite – the teenage mum was to ‘modernising’ initiative of its day. Presciently had his incapacity benefit cut and is working in an be sorted out (again); an even harsher regime for contemporary local government themes can be iron foundry down the road ”.

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www.lgiu.org.uk MEDIA WATCH New ways to connect As local papers struggle for survival, David Brindle asks whether blogs could help fill the gap between councillors and constituents.

for the hard of left.”) He has kept his blogging crown despite a serious and debilitating illness, from which he is thankfully recovering, and that in itself demonstrates the utility of the medium. Is it more than political knockabout? Yes. Here’s a blog on a positive Audit Commission inspection of Hackney Homes which, Akehurst points out, will trigger Decent Homes funding for the borough. “So what sounds like a dry audit report is actually fantastic news for the thousands of tenants in my council ward and across the rest of the borough waiting for their homes to be improved, quite apart from meaning that their landlord has actually been delivering services better.” Taking second place in the Total Politics top 10 is another Labour blogger, Paul Cotterill, a West Lancashire borough councillor who writes under the title The Bickerstaffe Record – Bickerstaffe being his ward. “I am a 45-year-old bloke with prematurely white hair and a slight paunch. Typical councillor, really,” says Cotterill. His blogs are nothing if not eclectic: one day it’s “George Osborne and his reliance on the Soviet Russians”; the next, “Dickets Lane/Wigan Road junction”. One strong recent theme has been Cotterill’s “Bickerbikers” campaign he crisis in local newspapers continues magazine that few people were even aware of the to get local children cycling to school – a perfect apace. Estimates suggest that 80 have closed results of the June county council elections. “I won local newspaper story, of course, but one eminently Tin the past year and a recent announcement by 20 votes after three recounts and even my transferable to this new format. by the Trinity Mirror Group that it was to axe the neighbours don’t know because the Advertiser’s not Third in the top 10 is a Conservative, Richard Neath Guardian, the Port Talbot Guardian and the there to tell them.” Willis, of Reading borough council. His blogsite is Wrexham Chronicle prompted the Welsh Assembly Some still have faith. A local businessman has undoubtedly the most attractive, featuring much government to issue a statement of concern about relaunched the former Burton Trader, also in embedded YouTube material ranging from David the future of media in the principality. Derbyshire and also shut by Trinity, and at the time Cameron’s speech to the Tory conference to the In Long Eaton, Derbyshire, the weekly Advertiser of writing the group has suspended planned closure previous evening’s X Factor contestants. (Willis gives was shut by Trinity a year ago. The town, of the Whitchurch Herald in Shropshire pending us his top three.) Scroll down, though, and there’s population 45,000, now has no newspaper or radio discussions with parties interested in taking it over. Willis’s “activity record” for the past month: station and gets little attention from the local dailies But overall the outlook remains bleak. surgeries held, committees and panels attended, in nearby Derby and Nottingham. Founded in 1882, So what’s a councillor to do? Faced with demise inquiries lodged on behalf of residents etc. the Advertiser – “Voice of the town for more than of the traditional vehicle for communicating with It’s this rich mix of content that makes these a century” – went out with a whimper of a 70-word voters and maintaining profile, one modern pioneer councillor bloggers so intriguing. But is the statement on the front page of its last edition. alternative is to blog. And a growing number of mix sustainable? Local newspapers that are Trading conditions, it said, had become too difficult elected members already do: the Total Politics surviving – and there are some – are those that to continue. database, by no means comprehensive, lists 109 know their market and deliver what it wants. The In an excellent analysis of the aftermath of the blogs under its “councillor’ category. bloggers’ market may be political anoraks, X Advertiser’s closure, Press Gazette, the journalism Total Politics has just named its top 10 councillor Factor fans or motorists who use the Dickets monthly that has itself been brought back from the blogs for 2009. Retaining top spot is Luke Akehurst, Lane/Wigan Road junction. But is it likely to be dead, talked to local people about the void created a Labour member of Hackney council who describes all three? in the community. Roland Hosker, a Labour himself as “firmly on the moderate wing of the David Brindle is the Guardian’s public services county and Erewash borough councillor, told the party”. (His blogsite carries the line: “With subtitles editor.

7 PARTY CONFERENCES Big government, small government or local government? The party conferences had added importance this year, being the last before the General Election. The LGiU team joined thirty thousand people who gathered for a thousand fringe meetings, a hundred hours of main conference debate and three Leaders’ speeches. LGiU chief executive Andy Sawford reports. r e

he Liberal Democracts kick-started the unashamedly big government approach in a week p u S

conferences in Bournemouth with Nick when only John Denham carried the localist torch n o J / o t

Clegg calling for ‘savage cuts’. The hard in a conceptual speech that contained few specifics o h

T P

language offended many Lib Dems, including the but instead attacked the actions of some P A councillors I spoke to. The ‘Mansion Tax’ policy, Conservative councils. Contrary to expectations, the announced by Vince Cable, was equally Labour delegates and ministers did look like they controversial, with frontbenchers complaining had some fight in them, not least because of the about a lack of consultation. They didn’t object to unifying force of News International which declared the policy, but there was a feeling that the leadership on the eve of Brown’s speech that it would be was being high handed. switching support to the Conservatives. On the fringe, delegates and MPs mused on the In Manchester the Conservative commitment to possibility of a hung parliament, and the media localism is firm. George Osborne proposed a looked for signs of Tory or Labour courtship or major roll back of the state, at all levels, driven by favour. Electoral reform, or ‘fair votes’ as the Lib the need to bring down public debt. David Cameron Dems put it, is a deal breaker and they are smelling went further, putting an ideological and moral case the opportunity in the air. At our fringe hosted for small government, arguing that the welfare state jointly with the Electoral Commission, where I has eroded personal responsibility. argued that reinvigorating democracy is mainly Shadow Communities Minister, Caroline about making sure that voting really matters, we Spelman, gave specifics, announcing that elected heard speaker after speaker make the case that Mayors will be able to take on the role of Chief proportional representation is a magic ingredient Executive, pledging no revaluation and promising to renew politics. You heard it here first: I predict to review the funding formula. that if there is a hung parliament, the minimum price Publicly the top brass say “judge us by our Shadow Chancellor George Osborne speaking at the for Lib Dem cooperation will be proportional councils” but privately they urge Tory councillors Conservative Party conference representation for local government elections. not to rock the boat. If they do win power, a more Labour gathered in Brighton as the self stormy central-local relationship is certain, but until initiatives from government to drive radical service proclaimed political underdog to make a case for then, caution reigns. This was evidenced in some transformation. The Conservatives may not re-election in the face of record low opinion poll of our private conversations around the conference, continue the Total Place programme but they are ratings. At the local government reception Gordon where some Conservative council leaders expressed nevertheless interested in big ideas that save big Brown told delegates “people keep asking me about the view that budget cuts should begin in 2010 and amounts of public money. the special relationship… I tell them that me and not be delayed because of the election. Ministers, We played host to around fifty councillors, Peter Mandelson are getting on well”. Lord understandably, are focused on winning the general many of them council Leaders, during the three Mandy’s speech was the star turn, arguing that election and therefore fear potentially damaging weeks, and there is clearly a broad spectrum of Labour had been right to make the interventions headlines about Tory council cuts. The caution preparedness and willingness to engage with the in the economy, including the stimulus, and that reminds me of the expression someone once used scale of the public sector spending crisis that is to public sector cutbacks too soon would jeopardise about Tony Blair’s approach before he took power: come. There are political choices of course, and economic recovery. “he behaved like a man carrying a Ming Vase over Gordon Brown obviously believes that an anti-cuts The Prime Minister took the message further by the threshold”. message will resonate with the public. David making new spending commitments to extend the Whether the cuts are ‘savage’ or not, cuts there Cameron and Nick Clegg (in spite of his activists) welfare state with a new National Care Service and must be. I chaired a very interesting fringe about believe that the public are ready to hear a tough free long term care for the elderly. It was an Total Place, which is surely the first of many message. Time will tell.

8 PROFILE Dan Rogerson MP

It could be the ultimate in local government. Cornwall already has a unitary council, but the North Cornwall MP Dan Rogerson told Mark D’Arcy that he wants to go further, and transform a humble unitary authority into a devolved assembly modelled on the Welsh National Assembly.

ust before Parliament rose for the summer, he presented a bill to do just that. It won’t go anywhere because it won’t get Government support, but it’s an interesting idea, even if there are not many places in Britain where it could apply. Rogerson may be a Cornishman by birth, but his local government experience is in fact in Bedford, where he was deputy leader of his party group before returning home and becoming the MP for North Cornwall. He believes that Cornwall – perhaps almost uniquely – has enough geographic, historic and even linguistic distinctiveness to make this form of micro-devolution work. “It’s not a numbers game,” he insists. “Historically Cornwall was pretty autonomous for a very long time – and on our side of the [river] Tamar the King used to let us get on with it.” The geographical isolation, which limits the knock on effects of Cornish decisions on neighbouring areas, and the need for the smartest possible local decision making are the key parts of his argument. But the attractions of a Cornish Assembly go beyond that more localised approach to strategic development and transport. Taking over education and heritage powers matters a great deal in a country (not county) which was proudly independent long before the very foundation of funding, Cornwall is already recognised as a distinct region, it’s just an unaccountable quango,” England. “Take just one example,” he says. “We region in its own right by Brussels. His proposed Rogerson says. don’t teach our children about the fact that assembly would run most local services, although Nothing more will happen to his Bill. But the rules Cornwall was there before the Romans, the Angles at the really micro-level, cutting grass verges and the of parliament allow him to keep plugging away. and the Saxons. That is not acknowledged and like would probably be devolved to Cornwall’s Perhaps he will be able to bring in a ten-minute rule things are imposed on us and simply assumed in the network of parish councils. There are 70 in his North bill, which would at least allow him the chance to National Curriculum that would be impossible and Cornwall constituency, alone. raise the issue in a speech in the Chamber. If he’s unacceptable, for example in Wales.” Not everyone is sold on the idea of a super- really lucky, he might even place high enough in the Similarly, he dislikes the “English Heritage” unitary. Mebyon Kernow, the Cornish nationalist annual ballot for debating time to introduce a signage on Cornish monuments and sites of party, which has three councillors on the new private members bill. Whatever happens he hopes historical interest which long predate England. And, unitary authority, congratulated Rogerson on his he’s contributed to rethinking how the government although he accepts that the Government has Bill and welcomed the very idea of a debate on how of Cornwall might look. been supportive, he would like a future National Cornwall should be governed. But they pointed out “Localism is now quite trendy and all the main Assembly to promote the ancient Cornish language that the Welsh National Assembly has 22 unitary parties claim to support it,” he says. “If the other – a sister tongue to Welsh and Breton. authorities under its umbrella and thought the single parties are committed to localism then I hope they But is this anything more than an engaging authority “made no sense.” will take this in the spirit in which it is intended, populist fantasy? A handy tub for a Cornish Rogerson disagrees. And he sees no obvious which is to say if we want meaningful regional politician to thump, and one which is all the more substitute for his proposal. The, now rather distant, government, it must be about meaningful regions. convenient because no-one seriously expects prospect of English regionalism does not answer Cornwall exists; it is recognised as having a anything to be delivered? Rogerson insists a Cornish Cornwall’s needs he says. Having decisions made particular history and a present and a future and National Assembly is entirely feasible. There are, he at the level of a region that stretches from Swindon I hope we can come up with a constitutional says, EU member states with similar or slightly to the Scilly Isles seems hardly more local to settlement that meets that need.” smaller populations than Cornwall, and that, for the Cornish eyes than rule from Westminster. “No-one Mark D’Arcy is a Parliamentary Correspondent purposes of obtaining European Convergence is going to die in the trenches for the South-West with BBC News.

9 HEALTH Fewer hours, poorer care?

Dr Samena Chaudhry suggests that the directive to work fewer hours is bad for doctors’ training and bad for patients.

esterday was an interesting day in the hospital where I am an orthopaedic Yregistrar. All the F2 junior doctor grades who usually see to the patients on the wards were at a teaching session. Due to a shorter working week they were not expected in the hospital and no provisions had been made to cover their absence because there wasn’t any other doctor available to cover. The only doctor present was ‘on call’. She was expected to admit new patients from A&E and fracture clinic. As it was not possible for her to see every patient on the wards too, she was attempting to troubleshoot acute problems usually identified by the ward nursing staff. By the time I arrived to start the on call evening shift, there was a collection of relatives wishing to speak to the team doctors, patients with investigations and complaints requiring team review and other patients who I could see had wasted a day in their slow journey through the system. Doctors used to work extremely long hours. The arguments to change this work pattern have been going on for the last decade and it now seems that blood pressure, increased or irregular heartbeat, extra doctors added to the rota may result in many all hospitals are striving to achieve a 48 hour week. muscular tension and even death (for example, problems. Continuity of care suffers. Not enough But have we gone too far? And is the type of care through suicide, cardiovascular disease or cancer). doctors were left to get the clinical jobs done during a patient on the ward receives and the training a junior Interestingly, workers who choose to work long the daytime. Fewer investigations are ordered, less doctor receives today compared to their predecessors hours, due to personal commitment or enjoyment patients examined, poorer continuity notes written, a few years ago inferior and less satisfactory? of work, are likely to suffer less than workers who fewer relatives seen, and slower discharge drugs or Research shows that tiredness results in a are forced to work long hours. letters written. lowered quality of patient care. It is difficult to feel Similarly for professionals, high salaries and high For me, the most important part of a junior compassion for patients when fatigued and an levels of satisfaction often compensate for long doctor’s time in the workplace is when they are increased frequency of clinical mistakes, including hours. The health effects may also be offset by receiving training and this is clearly not happening ones that might lead directly to the death of the improved access to nutrition, exercise and some in a more efficient fashion than it was a few years patient have been and can be made. The Australian forms of social networks. ago. Surgical and medical trainees are often placed Medical Association argues that as fatigue depresses But such factors do not apply to junior doctors. in positions where they must make a choice to stay mood and decreases motivation, extended working Junior doctors have traditionally been required by and gain exposure to experience and receive hours reduces the effectiveness of learning on the the NHS, to work their additional duty hours and training they might otherwise lose. As training job and their junior doctors typically work no more there are, in general, very poor catering and other programmes cannot indefinitely become longer, they than 40 hours a week. It is often argued in the UK facilities out of hours for junior doctors and leisure must try to use the time they are at work more that such long hours are necessary for training; yet, time is taken up with studying for examinations. efficiently or stay behind and work more hours there is no evidence either that long hours are In recognition of this, over the last few years most regardless of not being paid for them. necessary for training or that juniors’ training in doctors no longer work more than 56 hours a week, One thing is for sure. Shifts are here to stay. But Australia is inferior to that of their UK counterparts. with most hospitals moving to a 48 hour working how can we pay more attention to the ratio of service Emotional reactions to stress include anxiety, pattern this year. provision versus training? Perhaps the only way of depression, restlessness and fatigue. Behavioural Yet why are many of us disillusioned in the way highlighting this is to flag up the risks to patient reactions include increased smoking and that this has filtered through? A shorter week cannot safety culminating in the poor performance and consumption of alcohol and taking unnecessary only result in shorter hours. collapsing efficiency of a trust – at least the latter risks. Physiological reactions include increased The effect of a 48 hour working week without will mean it might not be ignored by managers.

10 CHILDREN’S SERVICES Getting a grip on the election

Jasmine Ali, head of LGiU’s Children’s Services Network looks at how the champions of children’s services can influence the election policy debate to promote reform.

his year’s party conferences demonstrate how and the pupil premium. Disappointingly, Labour the incoming election will be fought on had very little new to say on education with the Tchange, trust and the economy. But there is exception of a review to consider preventing BNP also a window of opportunity with all parties members from teaching. Also launched was the new sharing a concern for the most vulnerable. Behaviour Challenge. Lead members for children’s services must get to The differences between Labour and the grips with the trajectory of children’s policy to Conservatives were well rehearsed in the run up to influence the election policy debate and promote the party conferences. Gove’s earlier comments have effective reform. already sparked debates over the future of the DCSF The party conferences were the first to take place and the possible re-emergence of a separate since the tragic case of Baby Peter, so family education department. At the time of the launch of breakdown and child protection were cross-party the schools White Paper, Gove addressed the themes. The Liberal Democrats updated their Royal Society of Arts and expressed concern that policy, calling for a public awareness campaign to schools had lost their principal purpose and had make child protection everybody’s business. Dawn been “saddled with a host of supplementary roles Primarolo, minister for children, echoed this. She since the creation of the DCSF”. He added “schools said that her Green Paper would make it clear what have become less places of learning and more our responsibilities are “when we see or hear what community hubs from which a host of services can we know is not right”. More controversially, the be delivered”. Having said that, he announced a Liberal Democrats want the results of all serious proposal for new technical schools to support case reviews to be made public. vocational education. But it was Gordon Brown who hit the headlines One topic that was notable by its absence was when he told conference of his ideas on teenage cuts. But funding will be a key feature for all parties pregnancy. Rather than plough more resources into and we must make sure that preventative services prevention services, the plan is to house 16 – and 17- are not perceived as an easy target. Preventative and year-old mothers in a network of supervised homes. early intervention can deliver legitimate savings for At the Conservative conference, Maria Miller, the the UK economy. shadow minister for families, confirmed that the In the run-up to the election, the role of lead Tories would go ahead with their plans to recognise internal and external divisions between both members will become increasingly important as they marriage in the tax system. She added “In turbulent Labour and Conservatives. In the run up to make children’s services a prominent issue for all times, it’s our family who we turn to. The family, conference Ed Balls revealed government plans to local and national politicians. All efforts to work not the state, is our best support system.” cut expenditure in schools by £2 billion. But smarter locally will naturally focus on cutting out Sure Start children’s centres are another focus for Gordon Brown in his key note to conference duplication and targeting front line support. Key the Tories. Tim Loughton, shadow children’s pledged to increase school budgets. One week later to this is of course effective engagement between minister, has been consistent in his analysis. In a a further difference emerged between David local leaders and the community, as well as between recent interview he said “They should be more Cameron and his shadow education secretary service providers and service users. focussed on areas of greatest need, which they were Michael Gove. Localism and greater community There is a discernible willingness on the part of originally rolled out to serve”. The Conservatives control were the key perspective of the Tory all three parties to improve education outcomes also want to boost health visitor service and scrap leader, with a greater role for individuals being through the participation of those already in the ContactPoint (a point the Liberal Democrats are promulgated by Gove. Budgets will be devolved to system. With this in mind the LGiU Children’s agreed on). An alternative view might involve the the parent rather than the local authority level. Services Network is working on a project geared reform of this expensive IT system in order to make The proposals in the recent White Paper on to increase opportunity of education and mobility it more useful to the children’s workforce. schools were reiterated in the education debate, with to looked after children. To get involved contact Debates on education are most notable for renewed commitment to the School Report Card [email protected] .

11 CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE The power of positivity

Have you crossed the road to avoid a group of young people on the corner? Young people get an almost uniformly bad press, and this relentless dose of negative coverage is having an impact on relations between the generations, writes Charles Wright.

here is a growing gap between young and role of youth work. Youth workers are quite Children and Young People Janet Grauberg. older people’s perceptions. Adults are different to teachers, for example. It is voluntary The scheme is part of a process looking more Tincreasingly concerned about groups of engagement through positive activities, with the widely at youth provision. “We need to think not teenagers “hanging around” (British Crime Survey), young person at the centre, helping them develop only about specific outcomes but about outcomes but youngsters are at a loss to see how much of their skills and reach their potential. for the whole community. behaviour has come to be branded as “anti-social”. “Youth work shouldn’t be over-formalised, or the “These are our young people, part of our “These headlines have been really detrimental, targets will become more important than the community. We want to strike the correct balance tarnishing young people and labelling them,” says young person.” between universal and targeted provision and 18 year-old Youth Parliament member Adam And youth work can be hugely cost-effective, engage the community on what we want and how Jogee.”Obviously a small minority do cause according to 2008 figures compiled by the union. best to provide it.” trouble, but they get all the attention.” Successful schemes keeping teenagers out of gangs Funding is key. “In one recent six month period In fact young people themselves fear anti-social cost some £3,600 a year per person, compared to we had 14 different youth funding streams all with behaviour and feel safer in groups, while just two £35,000 for a youth offenders’ institute and a different criteria,” says Grauberg. “We end up per cent regard “hanging around” together as anti- staggering £191,618 for a secure training centre. chasing funding rather than investing long-term in social, according to this year’s Audit Commission Camden Council is now in the second year of its services based on proper strategies with community report Tired of Hanging Around. “COO-L” scheme giving youngsters £15 a month buy-in. If there was one thing I would do it would One consequence of negative coverage, says to book activities of their choice through a dedicated be to simplify and stabilise the funding regime.” Jogee, is that some youngsters start “living up” to and widely publicised website, from local sports Youth MP Adam Jogee says councillors also need the image. The perception is confirmed in the report: sessions to cinema tickets or trips to theme parks. to set an example, speaking out against negative “Lack of understanding between adults and young “We are saying that young people should have portrayals of young people, and going beyond “lip people can create a self-fulfilling prophecy: young the same range of choices as you or I do as to what service” consultation. “We are the future and we people consider they are justified in reacting to adults’ to do in their spare time, rather than activities being should be treated with respect – and in a few years complaints about them by behaving anti-socially.” defined for them.” says Executive Member for we will be voters!” Bridging this gap presents a challenge to l i c

councillors who are often on the receiving end of n u o C

local calls for “something to be done”. Enforcement y t n u

is popular, but, as the Audit Commission says, the o C e r most effective approaches to anti-social behaviour i h s y b

strike a balance between action against perpetrators r e and measures reducing the risk in the first place. D The 10 year Government strategy Aiming High for Young People, launched in 2007, widens the debate: “When young people have somewhere to go and something positive to do in their free time, communities see the benefits. This is about more than reduced concerns over anti-social behaviour; it is also about adults seeing young people making a positive contribution to society.” The strategy requires local authorities to develop their own plans – engaging young people in design and delivery, but also promoting more positive public perceptions of young people. The youth service is central. Is it simply “soft” enforcement following the police onto “problem” estates, or does it have a wider role? “We want to encourage preventative work rather than enforcement, valuing and respecting our young people,” says UNISON national officer Gill A project in Belper, Derbyshire, is helping to break down barriers between youn and old. Pictured are Belper Archer, who represents youth workers. School students (from left) Fran Alton-Wood (16), Gemma Bertelsen (15) and 16-year-old Jordan Sherwood enjoying “It’s important that councillors understand the a chat with resident Joan Smith at the Drop Inn event.

12 POLICING Neighbourhood policing – guns and knives or tea and sympathy?

The Home Office spends £1 billion a year on Neighbourhood Policing to bring police officers and local people together but, asks John Whelan, does it engage with councillors and is it a real priority for effective policing?

rising pattern of crime and disorder including robbery, begging, and street drinking was Ablighting the community living around a railway station in South London. The new Safer Neighbourhood Panel Chair initially worked with the Metropolitan Police and informally with ward councillors to improve community safety – with limited success. Crime and disorder worsened with the attempted murder of a pub licensee. The police, Panel Chair, and councillors then engaged with the full range of statutory partners involved with the station environment and with local residents and traders. As a result, multiple initiatives took place to reverse the decline including a community clean up day, the relocation of the police command centre close to the station, and two years later a borough wide dispersal order for street drinkers. Yet the jury is still out on the effectiveness of deal to the table not the least their granular “Some of my posts logged 2,000 hits on a local Neighbourhood Policing nationwide which consumes knowledge of their communities and instinct for what community Web. That could not have been done £1 billion a year of taxpayers’ money. In some areas actually works. Eighty five per cent of the population with leaflets.” However, he says, this initiative will where initiatives have worked success has not been never come into contact with the police, and we want remain stillborn until there is an official Met sustained after key people move onto new jobs and to engage with the younger generation in particular. policy allowing officers to engage with social new officers take a different more aggressive view of We increasingly need to develop connected networks networking sites. Indeed using them at present from priorities – “guns and knives not tea and sympathy,” of people who can help with target hardening. And Met computers is still a disciplinary offence. as one macho superintendent puts it. So why is the hard-working ward councillors are the key to It’s surprising that official policies lag behind good police commitment to working with local councillors making connections between the three ‘Ps’, police, practice. When the Met Commissioner addressed in particular not yet embedded in good practice in very people, and place.” the Police Superintendent’s Association recently, he many of the 3,600 policing neighbourhoods across The Met source adds: “The political nettle must be expressed support for using social media for England and Wales? grasped. Few councillors are likely to take a neutral communication. Worse, however, is the continual First, there is wariness from the police about position when a police station is closed – it’s the same abstraction of police officers in the Met from engaging with councillors, although not , it often for swimming pools and libraries, so they can be neighbourhood teams to other duties – seems, with the community safety officers in local challenging. Sadly, middle ranking police officers are understandable in an emergency but not when it’s authorities. To many backbench councillors not trained to handle local politicians, community always an emergency. In Kent, 84 police officers community safety officers can be a law unto activists, or single issue campaigners. Yet these who cannot be abstracted for other duties work on themselves while Crime and Disorder Reduction people are the glue that, in most wards or electoral tackling antisocial behaviour at neighbourhood level Partnerships exclude backbench councillors – even divisions in the country, stick local communities to – they are the enforcement team arm for the the minutes are sometimes so redacted as to be the providers of public services.” neighbourhood teams and have recorded meaningless. To reach out to more people one Met officer outstanding successes. A senior middle ranking officer with the Met says: involved with neighbourhood policing started Achieving a joined up approach between “There is a fear from the police side of becoming having regular intelligence meetings with leading community, councillors, police and the other entangled with local politics and in member-on- local councillors, usually singly and always when statutory services can work well at neighbourhood member rivalries or backbiting. That’s why in the Met off duty to build intelligence and confidence. He level. But spending £1 billion of taxpayers’ money it is often a community panel of local residents and started using social networking as a tool to engage on neighbourhood policing would arguably offer businesses who help set the priorities for the Safer with the wider community in his area making posts better value for money, if best practice became Neighbourhood Policing teams – not elected members. under his real name, but from his home computer. embedded in all 3,600 neighbourhoods throughout However, I believe that councillors can bring a great “The results were hugely rewarding,” he recalls. England and Wales.

13 MY PATCH

Mark Smulian meets Hayley Matthews who holds the distinction of being the country’s youngest cabinet member.

“I only left to go to university in Manchester, and came straight back. I think it is important in a councillor to have that tie and care about an area.”

ne local newspaper called Hayley

Matthews “the official baby within the The problem of councillors being “largely

Ocouncil chamber”, when she was elected to Brent in 2006 aged only 22. “male, pale and stale”, will not be solved until A year later she became the country’s youngest “ local government cabinet member, taking the crime prevention and public safety portfolio. employers are convinced they will benefit It was sudden rise for someone who had only been in politics for a year. But the local government from staff serving in local government bug has since bitten her hard. Hayley won Mapesbury ward as part of a sudden advance by the Liberal Democrats in the After a year as a backbencher, Hayley successfully back to controversies in the 1980s about perceived borough after Sarah Teather had captured the Brent contested a postal ballot among fellow Liberal racism towards members of ethnic minorities, and East parliamentary seat for them from Labour in Democrat councillors for a vacancy for the cabinet the legacy continues to create difficulties. a 2003 by-election. post. Her party splits the cabinet seats 6-4 with the “There are problems from 20 years ago in the “I was interested in politics but had never Conservatives in the borough’s joint administration. more deprived areas with an ethnic mix and there associated it with becoming a politician,” She says: “I had fallen in love with being a is still a feeling of mistrust of the police, even though Hayley says. councillor and I wanted to get everything out of the I think the police have changed,” she says. “I’d intended to become a psychologist. Then I experience and felt I had something more to offer.” “It’s a matter of building community confidence found myself thinking about whether to do Crime prevention and public safety is a wide brief and it has been more difficult dealing with people postgraduate work, but politics was in the back of which Hayley says allows her to get involved with who had genuinely troubling experiences in the past. my mind so I decided to introduce myself to the many council policies and activities, but the core “We are gradually changing attitudes, but some local Liberal Democrats. I’d voted for them in the is partnership work with the police to both reduce people whose parents experienced racism remain past and been attracted by their policies on the Iraq crime and perceptions of crime. reluctant to approach the police and there are still war, tuition fees and civil liberty.” “Borough priorities are gun and knife crime, contentious issues because black people are still She initially helped with Ms Teather’s work as a domestic violence and antisocial behaviour and we stopped and searched more often. It’s improving, volunteer, “with a view to becoming perhaps a want to improve community confidence and make but it will not happen overnight.” researcher or caseworker”, but this happened just people feel safe,” she says. One fruit of better relations is the Not Another as her party was gearing up for the local elections. “That is a huge challenge as there has been a Drop campaign, launched within the Afro- “I got involved and enjoyed the team sprit, so I downward trend in crime in Brent in last few years Caribbean community after a series of gun murders, agreed to stand and seven months later I found I but fear of crime remains stubbornly high, though during one of which a seven-year-old girl was killed was a councillor. It all happened quite quickly.” I don’t think that is unusual to us.” in crossfire. Hayley was born and grew up in Mapesbury. She is supportive of the ward level police teams “Not Another Drop is a campaign against gun “This is my area and I’m trying to achieve things introduced by former London mayor Ken and knife crime which involves the police and the for my area,” she says. Livingstone, and says, “People do like to recognise council, but the community leads on it to identify “I only left to go to university in Manchester, and and know police officers and put face to names better, projects that we support them in delivering.” came straight back. I think it is important in a though it works better in some areas than others”. The campaign’s highest profile event is a peace councillor to have that tie and care about an area.” Brent’s policing problems have deep roots, going march held each September as “a community

14 MY PATCH

When you look into “antisocial behaviour complaints it’s often happened where someone is not getting the mental health support they need, and understandably their

behaviour can be pretty difficult to liv“ e next door to

Hayley feels the problem of councillors being “largely male, pale and stale”, will not be solved until employers are convinced they will benefit from staff serving in local government. “It’s partly for local government to communicate to employers the benefits of being a councillor for staff development, because the skills are transferable statement that it does not want violence on ballooned into several hundred. and I have gained a huge amount of diverse the streets”. “They have a real community spirit and I experience,” Hayley says. It also seeks to help children at risk of helped organise a community planting day, where “A lot of young councillors I know are involved involvement in crime and to resettle ex-offenders. I face-painted all day for the kids. in politics to some degree, as researchers for Like many councillors, Hayley receives regular “There is a real positive attitude towards getting example, where their employers are better able to complaints about antisocial behaviour and feels this involved, which is a pleasure to work with because see the benefits, but it does put off young people could be reduced were more spent on mental health. as a councillor you get a lot of residents who want and they say they have not got the time to be a Although that is not directly a council to work with you.” councillor because they are building their career and responsibility, she feels society would save money Cricklewood Broadway, a typical inner London have to work into the evening in their day job. by investing more in this service. main drag of small shops, used car emporia, “I’d like to see flexible working arrangements “When you look into antisocial behaviour lorries and buses, is a priority for improvement but that allow people to pursue both.” complaints it’s often happened where someone is it has long suffered from being split between Brent She adds that any move to single-councillor not getting the mental health support they need, and and neighbouring Camden and Barnet. wards would exacerbate this problem, since all the understandably their behaviour can be pretty “We’ve tried to get the basics right, we invested work would fall on one councillors rather than be difficult to live next door to,” she says. “If more in street cleaning and it’s been repaved, but you shared three ways as in Mapesbury. were spent on mental health, we could save can’t just improve one side of a road because the When elected, Hayley went through Brent’s money down the line.” public do not think in terms of borough boundaries councillor induction programme and had support She intends to stand again in Mapesbury next and do not expect different sides of the road to get from long-serving councillors, but says “to a May. The ward comprises a prosperous-looking different services,” she says. degree you’re thrown in the deep end, one day you conservation area in which a residents’ association As one of relatively few councillors aged in their are not a councillor and the next you are, and it zealously protects the environment, areas of twenties Hayley is often asked to speak at events was a bit of a surprise to find myself suddenly giving terraced and semi-detached homes built in the first designed to widen the age range from which advice to people”. half of the twentieth century and a small cluster of council candidates are drawn. She concludes: “I’ve got so much from being a social housing estates. She was working in television production when councillor – practical skills like scrutiny and It is a fairly well defined ward, being bounded elected and found this difficult to balance with her strategy, being involved in policy making, inter- by the A5 at Cricklewood Broadway one side, a council work. personal skills dealing with the range of people you railway on another, and a park on most of the third. “I was finding there were always work deadlines meet, and in campaigning and public relations. Hayley has helped launch a second residents’ to meet and if you have to be at a council or ward “It’s a huge time commitment and hard work but association, in the Cricklewood area, which meeting you can’t be in two places and something you really do learn a lot and my advice to young people “started with a couple of members and has now has to give,” she says. thinking of becoming councillor is ‘just do it’.”

15

CONFERENCE c’llr.10 You’ve read the magazine, now come to the conference

t the LGiU we are all about local democracy, and we’ve always seen the role of the Acouncillor as being at the very heart of what we do. That is why we created c’llr magazine as the only title in the local government sector aimed at elected members, now with a circulation of over 10,000. Our briefings, seminars and conferences are all produced with councillors in mind and we get great feedback from you in our regular surveys. Now we are going a big step further by organising the first ever national conference for and about the work of councillors. c’llr 10 will take place in February next year. At the conference we will be both celebrating and supporting councillors with a combination of high profile speeches that will inform your thinking about the political and policy environment, and a wide range of practical workshops, helping you to share skills and good practice, and get to grips with emerging policy and service delivery challenges. c’llr magazine has gone from strength to strength, and we want the event to reflect the mix of topics of interest and value to you, and to bring to life some of the regular features. For example, we hope to have a “My Patch” video booth, where you can talk about your area and then broadcast to everyone at the event, and later on our website. A real chance to get your patch on the map. At a time when so much of the political talk, from all parties, concentrates on central solutions, more than ever the localist agenda needs to be producing innovative and coherent strategies for delivering quality services away from the over-prescriptive Whitehall approach. We need localist champions across the country, and we hope that by staging a national conference we will introduce and inspire such people. c’llr. 10 will be held at The Emirates stadium in North London, which is the recently opened home c’llr 10 of Arsenal Football Club. The conference facilities 4 February 2010, and access here are excellent, and the space and layout gives us the chance to produce an event that Emirates Stadium, looks and feels different to the conventional format. All in all, this promises to be a great day, and London hopefully the start of a regular event in the local government year. We very much look forward to www.cllr-event.co.uk seeing you there.

17 EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING Much more than housing

Peabody chief executive Stephen Howlett says his organisation could do even more to help people in to training and employment if the right framework was in place.

very year, with funding of approximately By the time it becomes apparent that this £1million, we provide employment support approach has led to a loss of services offered at a Eand training programmes, directly and in local, neighbourhood level, in favour of a high partnership, to more than 1,000 unemployed street-type provision, it will be too late. We will find people, many of whom were not simply victims of ourselves attempting to rebuild the sector at great the recession. cost, not just in financial terms, but in terms of The work is lengthy and intensive, and the gains damage to people and communities. are hard-won. Yet such gains represent substantial A focus on outcomes is causing those who are progress against entrenched, intergenerational most vulnerable to lose out unemployment. While we welcome the Flexible New Deal and Of this 1,000, we help around 350 into jobs – its focus on getting people into work before they 350 people of all ages, cultures and ethnicities, become the long-term unemployed, its focus on whose lives, and the lives of their families and outcomes as the primary trigger for payment communities, have been changed for the better means that those who are most vulnerable are because we offered them local, informal learning losing out. Vulnerable groups, such as rough spaces for as long as they want and need, help to sleepers, the long-term unemployed and some renew confidence, training in life skills as well as black and minority ethnic groups, are the hardest specific vocational skills, and volunteering and job to reach, and deliver the lowest outcomes. Hence, placements. payments, which derive from outcomes, are less. Now approaching our 150th year, we’re one of In turn, our support is curtailed, further reducing London’s oldest, and largest, housing associations. Stephen Howlett outcomes, and thus payments, and so on. Due to, With over 19,000 properties, most in inner and in our estimation, unattainable outcome targets, central London, we provide homes to more than The current funding model is inefficient we regretfully chose not to tender for the Flexible 50,000 people. First, although the vast majority of our funding New Deal. But we do so much more than provide housing, for employment and training activities is received Housing associations are being overlooked and Peabody has always been more than just a good from central government, it is delivered via Finally, as touched upon, the role of housing landlord. When Peabody was founded in 1862 by uncoordinated funding streams. This obstructs associations in delivering and participating in the banker, diplomat and philanthropist George efforts to develop complementary strategies, often employment programmes is not well known. Peabody, he established the template for social leading to initiatives that overlap or jostle together Much of this is the responsibility of housing housing around the world. He understood that as they attempt to deliver similar outcomes with associations themselves, and the sector as whole. simply putting a roof over someone’s head is not the same beneficiaries. There is a real need to The result is that our capacity is under-utilised. As enough. There must also be a framework to combine training and skills budgets with a sector, we need to raise our profile in order to support and encourage the development of people employment programmes. access more funding and, accordingly, better assist and communities. Large contracts disadvantage those who need our our communities to engage and succeed in We deliver our employment and training services support the most employment programmes. Likewise, we invite from five community learning centres located in There is an emerging trend at central, regional funders to work with us to improve strategies so Southwark, Wandsworth, Tower Hamlets, and local government levels towards awarding that housing associations can play a larger role in Westminster and Hackney. Partnerships include fewer, larger contracts with the expectation that the programmes targeting unemployment. joint initiatives with local authorities, alongside large contractors will sub-contract to smaller and In our experience, a network of community employer groups. We also work with a range of more specialist providers. The logic is that this form centres offering easily accessible, enduring support service delivery organisations, including colleges and of contracting is more efficient and cost effective. that emphasises personal skills development, while training providers, specialist training organisations However, this approach will significantly reduce addressing the key barriers to work, is the best and other housing associations. the capacity of the sector, particularly its ability to model for reducing worklessness among long-term However, like so many of the people we help, we work with the long-term unemployed and other unemployed and other vulnerable groups. The could achieve a great deal more with a better vulnerable groups, where outcomes are lower reality is that the current model does not make this support framework in place. and take longer (but arguably have greater impact). type of support sustainable.

18 REORGANISATION Transformation not transition

Charles Wright talks to Tricia Turner, leader of the new Central Bedfordshire Council about the trials, tribulations and rewards of launching a new authority.

t all sounds so straightforward – a new council directorates were rationalised. “There was a huge delivering “better services, stronger leadership, commitment to make it work, even though it was Isavings and greater involvement of the public”, those leading officers who were most vulnerable.” in the words of then local government minister John For Turner it was a period of non-stop meetings, Healey, announcing the creation of the Central road shows with staff, planning sessions with Bedfordshire unitary authority in March last year. partner agencies, coupled with leading a council of But the announcement was the start of possibly 120 members; because it was decided to wait till one of the most intensive periods of local June to hold the new council’s first elections, the government reorganisation ever, according to full council initially comprised all members of the Council Leader Tricia Turner. predecessor authorities. “People have been open-mouthed at the amount “Managing a council of that size is not ideal, and of work we had to do and what we have elections at the outset would have been helpful,” achieved,” she says. “We were building a new says Turner. “I don’t think we did enough getting council from nothing.” out and about with local people either, but we just Central Bedfordshire did not have an easy hadn’t got time.” birth. The unitary solution was favoured by all The timetable also meant the 2009/10 budget was existing councils, Bedfordshire, Bedford borough, constructed by officers, on the basis of best available Mid Beds and South Beds districts, but the details information, and that scrutiny took a back seat, since were subject to months of argument ending in the call-ins could have threatened transition deadlines High Court with the old county mounting a last- and the tight £15 million transition budget. ditch attempt to overturn its death warrant. Day One saw Turner touring all council “It was very much head to head with the buildings. “It went well, and I think we achieved county council during the whole process,” said our aim that the public wouldn’t notice the Turner. “It was not a happy period, and the change.” A new single number for all services was delays caused by legal action left us with a hugely widely promoted and website launched, and the foreshortened timetable.” first day passed without incident. On 6 March 2008 Turner, leader of the old Mid- Today Turner oversees a trimmed down council Beds district, found herself heading a with a clear majority, and is focusing on further shadow authority with barely 12 months to create efficiencies. “Our structures are still over-populated the new structure. and there is still duplication.” IT systems need “Staff needed a lot of support, as did councillors. sorting out and accommodation rationalising. Regular communication and transparency were She is also keen to get on with transformation paramount. It was an absolute requirement early on rather than transition – “that’s the exciting stuff”. to create an identity. Retaining leading officers was The council is actively engaged in a Total Place pilot also critical, to manage vital information transfer.” with Luton, where efficiencies of just one per cent High level member and officer teams took on total public spending of £3.4 billion could charge of the process, focusing on key appointments generate £34 million savings. and getting the basic policy, organisational and “One would have wanted to plan so that from Councillor Tricia Turner MBE budgetary structures in place for “vesting day” on day one we could start as we wanted to go on, 1 April 2009, alongside the day job of delivering but that just wasn’t possible in the timescale,” Has it been enjoyable? “Only if you enjoy services as normal. HR, finance and IT were for says Turner. “But this is the only way forward banging your head against a brick wall,” Turner once in the front line, supported by consultants for a county like ours, with government as close jokes. “But I’ve had a huge amount of support. I Deloitte keeping the project on track. to residents as possible. Why should they have only came into local government because I felt I Turner is full of praise for staff, particularly as there to worry about who is responsible for holes in could do something for people. Now we can was an element of “turkeys voting for Christmas”. the road, or emptying the bins, or pay for capitalise on the opportunity to do things differently Some 200 posts were deleted from the outset as overlapping services?” and better, and make sure we deliver.”

19 REORGANISATION Councillors – an endangered species? You may recall the media coverage back in April. They are no longer a common sight around our English countryside, and, with their numbers down by 60% in the past 40 years to under 20,000, they should be officially classified for the first time as an endangered species. Chris Game investigates.

eading on, you would have seen references to disturbed migratory patterns and that the Rnumbers referred to breeding pairs, and realised, hopefully, that the threatened species were cuckoos, not councillors. Now I promise that’s the last time those two c-words will appear in the same sentence, but the fact is that, on statistical grounds, UK councillors would be serious candidates for inclusion on the Red List maintained by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, since you ask). The nine new unitary authorities that came into operation in April replaced 7 county and 37 district councils, and, of course, their 2,065 councillors. England now has, therefore, 35 fewer councils, and the three million residents of Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire and Wiltshire have 1,321 or 55% fewer principal councillors. Some observers would go further and argue that, with the arrival of the whole-county unitary model, something even more profound has happened: in effect, the disappearance of local government altogether. When, as with the five county-wide unitaries, principal authorities in the only tier of elected sub-central government average some 1,330 square miles – bigger than a quarter suggests that it wasn’t, as I had fondly assumed, unpopular decisions have to be explained to of the countries of the world – and have whimsically intended. residents. I can imagine even some officers wishing populations of up to half a million, to continue No, my greater concern is with the major – if there were a few more of them around. calling them ‘local’ would strike most people as an somewhat arbitrary – reduction in councillor Table 2 shows how this latest unitary abuse of language. numbers and the resulting growth of an already reorganisation has distanced us even further from Yet, as shown in the left-hand columns of Table substantial democratic deficit. All seven reorganised the way in which virtually all our European 1, that is the scale we have now reached in the counties had their councillor representation cut by neighbours ‘do’ local government. All the countries ceaseless pursuit of our (or Ministers’) conviction at least 40%, the most heavily hit being listed have either two or three tiers of elected sub- that bigger is necessarily better, smaller is inevitably Northumberland with a loss of 79%. As a unitary central government, and the authority numbers less efficient – and councillors are apparently very council, Northumberland has not a single councillor given are for only the most local tier. Only the UK largely dispensable. more than it had as a county council – 67 numbers include all principal authorities; otherwise, I am not, as it happens, referring here to the councillors to cover nearly twice the area of the contrasts would obviously be more extreme still. fact that, with the local elections postponed Luxembourg – though neighbouring Durham The biggest contrast, as ever, is with France, until June, five of the new councils spent their first Council has doubled its size: interesting! whose thousands of mostly very small communes two months without any councillors of their These so easily jettisoned members will surely be have resisted all attempts at fundamental structural own at all. Central Bedfordshire even put a missed, and pretty soon. Councillors, insist reform since the revolution. Most other countries picture of an empty council chamber on its surveyed chief executives, will be the ones deciding in Table 2 have undertaken one or more sets of ‘Council and Democracy’ home page – although where funding cuts will be made, and they will council mergers, but without abolishing whole tiers, its continuing presence (into October, at least) doubtless be expected on the front line when these and the average population size of their councils

20 REORGANISATION

Table 1 Area Pop. C’llrs Residents 1972 1974 2009 Lost 1972-2009 (miles) ('000) per c’llor Councils C’llors Councils C’llrs Councils C’llrs Councils C’llrs No. C’llrs %

BEDFORDSHIRE: 13 411 5 281 3 151 10 260 63 Bedford 185 153 37 4,140 Central Beds. 274 241 66 3,650 CHESHIRE: 33 889* 9 498 4 269 29 620 70 Cheshire East 600 356 81 4,400 Chesh. W + Chester 350 324 72 4,500 CORNWALL 1,371 524 123 4,260 28 854 7 329 1 123 27 731 86 DURHAM 860 492 126 3,900 23 713* 9 453 2 179 21 534 75 NORTHUMBERLAND 1,942 307 67 4,580 22 618* 7 290 1 67 21 551 89 SHROPSHIRE 1,236 289 74 3,900 15 507 7 298 2 128 13 379 75 WILTSHIRE 1,260 450 98 4,590 26 694 6 312 2 157 24 537 77 Totals/averages 744 4,215 160 4,686 50 2,461 15 1,074 145 3,612 77

Table 2 Pop. Area No. of lower-tier (most local) Av. pop. Av. area per Total councillors Persons per (mill.) ('000 miles_) principal councils per council council (miles) councillor ('000) 1950 2007 % change France 60 244 38,000 36,700 -3 1,600 7 515 117 Spain 43 195 9,200 8,100 -12 5,300 24 65 660 Germany 83 138 24,150 12,340 -49 6,700 11 200 415 Italy 58 116 7,780 8,100 +4 7,160 14 100 580 Belgium 10 12 2,670 589 -78 18,000 20 13 800 Netherlands 16 16 1,015 443 -56 36,000 36 10 1,700 Denmark 5 17 1,391 98 -93 51,000 173 5 1,200 UK (ALL councils, 2009) 60 94 2,061 433 -79 140,000 217 21 2,900

remains far smaller than ours, by a factor of between three and about 20. This latest unitary reorganisation has So many more councils inevitably means far more councillors, and a far greater likelihood of distanced us even further from the way“ councillors in these other countries knowing and “ being known to those they represent. The position of our new unitary councillors, with, in some cases, in which virtually all our European multi-member division electorates of 10,000 or more, could hardly be more different. neighbours ‘do’ local government The Minister who oversaw the recent reorganisation was John Healey. Confronted with league from all obvious comparators. The argument As for the rate of decline, it saddens me to report such data on local authority scale, he insisted that is not about “whether small is best or big is best”, that the newly unitarised counties leave that 60% size is an “academic question … that misses the as Healey put it, because we left ‘small’ behind figure some way behind, as shown in the right-hand point. What matters is what is right for local areas decades ago. The whole-county unitary debate is columns of Table 1. Comparing today’s figures with and local communities”. between gross and humungous. those for the equivalent areas before the 1972-74 And he has a case. There have been numerous Secondly, notwithstanding all the qualifications reorganisation, the seven counties now have 145 attempts to assess the relationship between local required in studies assessing the influence of scale, fewer councils and 3,612 or 77% fewer councillors. authority size and aspects of performance – service what European evidence there is suggests that, if Northumberland, victim of the harshest quality, CPA scores, electoral turnout, citizen there is any optimal population size for a local democratic cull – or beneficiary of the sleekest satisfaction. But few have produced really definitive authority, it is probably between about 30,000 and streamlining, depending on your viewpoint – has conclusions, and fewer still when cross-national 40,000. Such evidence, however, derives from 551 or 89% fewer councillors, for an electorate that comparisons are attempted. Which is hardly studies excluding the UK – for 30,000 is as small has increased only slightly in number but, as surprising, given the number of variables at work, as we get. everywhere, massively in its expectations of and the commonsensical observation that some It is time, I sense, to return to the endangered government and its representatives. services are bound to yield economies of scale more cuckoo. As noted, the RSPB reckons their UK There are 27 English County Councils left, with readily than others. numbers have declined in the past 40 years by 60% some 1,857 elected members. Several counties are The Minister’s problem is that UK local to a population of around 20,000. And, as it already almost queuing up to become unitaries. If government long ago passed the point at which his happens, the recent unitary reorganisation brought there were a Union for the Conservation of argument about size being ‘academic’ loses its the number of councillors in England for the first Councillors, those 1,857 for a start would seem a validity. As Table 2 shows, our exceptional time to, yes, below 20,000. To quote Dame Edna shoo-in for the Red List: a species in need of population size puts us in a completely different Everage: isn’t that spooky, possums? protection, if ever there was one.

21 ENVIRONMENT Facing up to the future

So what’s all this fuss about Transition Towns? Victoria McManus finds the answers in Totnes, with the help of Paula Black, Devon’s first Green Party councillor.

magine a world sometime in the future with no designed to help communities that have decided to Paula’s ward is Totnes Rural, which encompasses planes – and no fridge in your kitchen. The first take action now to address the problem. the town of Totnes and all of its surrounding Iproblem that springs to mind is food: where The Network defines it like this: “The transition villages. She says: “When I realised I had won, I would it come from and how will we keep it fresh? model emboldens communities to look peak oil and felt incredibly humbled that people felt confident The answer is simple: it will have to be sourced climate change squarely in the eye and unleash the enough to vote Green, and I felt so proud that locally. No more green beans from Kenya or Cape collective genius of their own people to find the people had voted with a conscience.” grapes or Californian wine or, at least, not at the prices answers to this big question: For all those aspects This is her first stint at politics – “I was a teacher we are used to paying. Our food will mainly have to of life that this community needs in order to sustain at a primary school, but I have been an be produced at home, within our own communities. itself and thrive, how are we going to significantly environmental campaigner for many years” – but This is why building firms in the UK are rebuild resilience (in response to peak oil) and she was amazed to discover that because she is from increasingly incorporating allotments into their drastically reduce carbon emissions (in response to the Green Party many people assume she is slightly plans, councils are starting to plant more fruit and climate change)?” non-political. “On topics such as economics they nut trees on housing estates – and a whole new Towns and villages that have signed up are busy think I have no views!” movement is gathering supporters apace. sharing expertise and identifying ways of becoming She says she first became aware of environmental It is called the Transition Network, born out of self-supporting while at the same time trying to issues in the mid-1980s during the time when work done by environmentalist Rob Hopkins reduce their carbon footprint. bypasses and out-of-town supermarkets were the with students in Ireland, and then formalised into Totnes was the first Transition Town in the big issues. “They were building roads through an initiative that launched in his home town of world, demonstrating the community’s ability to beautiful countryside, and I thought, ‘what on earth Totnes, Devon, in 2006. embrace new concepts. Which is possibly why it are you doing?’” Now more than 100 towns, villages and cities in has also elected Devon’s first Green Party councillor. She continues: “I rejoined the Green Party in the UK and many more in the wider world have Paula Black, a teacher and mother of three Totnes around the same time as lots of other people now been officially designated Transition Towns. children, won her seat on Devon County Council who had recently arrived here – many of whom had So what is a Transition Town? Many people by just 17 votes in June, after moving to the area experience in environmental issues and politics. haven’t thought through what peak oil (the point with her family less than two years ago. At the same “We worked our guts out, planning events, at which global oil output will peak then go into time the Conservatives took control, with 42 putting out press releases and doing lots of work terminal decline) really means. And many more seats, of what had been majority Liberal Democrat. growing the Green Party here. We ran stalls on the simply say to themselves, ‘I’ll worry about that Labour has just four seats and there are also two High Street and handed out info, put on social when it happens’. The Transition Network is independent councillors. events, including a very successful gig in February. “We also got together with Transition Town Totnes (TTT) and Rob Hopkins, and put on a film. There are very few people in Totnes that don’t know about the movement. The children learn about it in our schools.” Paula says that the TTT is non-political – “it draws people from all political walks of life which makes it a broad church. We do have arguments with divergent views, but we do manage to bang out compromises that benefit the community.” She continues: “TTT is very much a community response to a scenario, so it attracts not just environmental people but also those with a self interest. Among them is a small group who are battening down the hatches and buying land. Alarm bells are ringing in their heads. But the power of TTT pulls everyone together to focus on the community as a whole, and not just the individual survivor attitude.” Of course there are sceptics. Paula describes her way of explaining it. “The first thing I say to people is this: ‘Stand in your house and imagine there is a Paula Black shortage of oil and a litre of oil costs £10. How would you react? Open your fridge and contemplate how

22 ENVIRONMENT

A volunteer helps Nut Tree project coordinator Wendy Stayte (pictured right) to plant a tree. The vision behind this TTT scheme is to provide another source of nutritious food for the Totnes community in the future. much oil goes into producing the food. The packaging A recent paper, Can Totnes and District Feed Itself? campaigning to get its street lights turned off from is made of oil, and then there’s the transport. was produced by Rob Hopkins, geographer Mark midnight until 5am.” “The most profound thing you can say is that a Thurstain-Goodwin and Simon Fairlie, who is Paula’s involvement in TTT is on a group tractor is 400 to 600 horsepower – where are you former co-editor of The Ecologist. (Worryingly, they working to reduce the carbon footprint in schools. going to get all those horses from? It does become concluded it would only be possible if the needs of “Devon County Council schools produce 50 per frightening. There are other fuel sources but there nearby conurbations Plymouth and Torbay were left cent of the carbon footprint of the entire council. isn’t anything we can replicate.” out of the equation and if our diets changed Why heat corridors? And school uniforms are not Paula says the Transition Town movement dramatically.) warm enough – we are not dressing school children does make people think about how they are living, Another innovation is the introduction of the appropriately.” to ask themselves what they are going to do in Totnes pound. The aim is to build resilience in the The Transition Network doesn’t claim to have their community. “It is empowering the local economy by keeping money circulating in the all the answers. They are keen to stress that they community to solve the problems at a local community, to get people thinking and talking truly don’t know if this will work. level, to provide local solutions.” about how they spend their money, to encourage “Transition is a social experiment on a massive The TTT is currently working on many different more local trade and thus reduce food and trade scale. What we are convinced of is this: if we wait projects, including garden-sharing, planting nut miles and to encourage tourists to use local for the governments, it’ll be too little, too late; if we trees, swapping business resources and encouraging businesses. act as individuals, it’ll be too little; but if we act as local business to stock sustainable fish. Paula says it is not just the town itself that is communities, it might just be enough, just in time.” One of the big studies has been looking at how involved. “Most of the villages outside Totnes are For more information on the Transition Totnes would be able to feed itself in future, by environmentally aware – and TTT covers all the movement, see www.transitiontowns.org and growing its own food, looking at how livestock is surrounding parishes. One parish is pushing for http://totnes.transitionnetwork.org fed (such as keeping cows out on grass all year anaerobic digesters [to deal with food waste] and For information about permaculture principles round) and adopting permaculture principles. another wants wind farms. Yet another is see www.permaculture.org.uk

23 ENVIRONMENT SUFFOLK’S GREEN REVOLUTION

It’s bold to claim that one’s county can be the greenest, but that is the status towards which Suffolk County Council is working. Mark Smulian investigates.

uffolk’s Greenest County initiative is one says. “But I’m noticing slowly at schools a

without specific targets, savings, milestones or You will not deliver tendency for children to walk or cycle. It’s not huge Seven in the strict sense objectives. Rather it is but I detect this change, which would not have

an attempt to change the thinking of residents and happened 10 years ago. the public, private and voluntary sectors so they overnight, but the “You will not deliver overnight, but the culture take environmentally friendly actions appropriate starts to change if you get children thinking.” “ “ to their situations, backed by the county council’s culture starts to Andrew Bacon, BT’s strategic development expertise and resources but not directed by it. director for UK local government, says another The county is using its back office services joint example of this approach is a detectable change in venture Customer Services Direct with BT – which change if you get children’s eating habits. also includes Mid Suffolk District Council – as part “Schools now encourage children to grow their of its green drive. BT is both a partner and a major children thinking own vegetables and salads and you can see the local employer and the whole county can now tap transformation in behaviour at lunchtime, when into expertise that has seen it cut its carbon council is, for example, working with schools to they will, miraculously, choose the salad they have footprint by 60%. install non-fossil fuel boilers, and Councillor grown whereas they would have ignored any Council leader Jeremy Pembroke says that when Pembroke points proudly to the Beaumont School other salad,” he says. the current Conservative administration took over in Hadleigh, which generates its own power from “Exposing young people to issues, and changing in 2005 “it struck me that geographically Suffolk a wind turbine. their state of mind, is not as difficult as it is with was in a wonderful situation and I wondered if we Suffolk also offers a £100,000 fund to which older generations, and if school activities convince were making the most of it. “Young people in parish councils and communities groups can pitch one child you then convince a whole family. It’s a particular are very keen on lower carbon and want carbon reduction ideas and receive grants to very effective way of doing it.” their lives to be more green. I needed to respond kickstart local action. It is this approach of BT’s involvement in Greenest County came to that, and I also happened to believe it myself.” encouraging and supporting local initiatives, but through the joint venture, and Mr Bacon says this He stresses the county council alone cannot make not dictating them, that Councillor Pembroke means the company gives priority to Suffolk in Suffolk green, and nor does it seek to control others’ thinks lies behind the substantial public enthusiasm developing and implementing its new ideas and environmental action. “We aim to give stirred by Greenest County. concepts. “We are leveraging our own experience encouragement to get more people involved, so our This was shown by some 300 people attending in reducing our carbon footprint by 60%, and we job is to enable but not to deliver,” he says. “It this year’s Greenest County conference addressed are now targeting 80%, so that experience is would kill it stone dead if we did that.” by solo round-the-world sailor Dame Ellen invaluable to other organisations.” Suffolk’s geographical situation is a flat coastal MacArthur, who is BT’s sustainability champion. The Suffolk public sector can, for example, have county swept by winds that can be harnessed by Councillor Pembroke says: “That gives you an the benefit of BT’s experience in reducing employee the growing wind power industry. Scottish and idea of how popular this is, and the great thing is commuting. Mr Bacon explains: “There is a Southern Energy is building Greater Gabbard, although the county council sparked it off it’s now constant dialogue around travel substitution, with which it claims will be the world’s largest offshore been taken over by the wider community, which a focus on utilising physical property assets more wind farm at 140 turbines, off Lowestoft, where is exactly what I wanted.” efficiently, and to make that happen you need to the council has provided the 3,300sqm Orbis He points to Radio Suffolk ‘Don’t Be A Tosser’ enable people to work more flexibly, either locally Energy building as a centre for renewable campaign – against the throwing of litter from cars or collaboratively. technology industries. – as a contribution to Greenest County that owed “Very few people can work solely from home, “I am very keen that Lowestoft, not Aberdeen, nothing directly to the council but was inspired by so it requires a level of mobility, and often the IT becomes the centre of the UK alternative energy its environmentalist ethos. infrastructure enables people to work in other industry,” Councillor Pembroke says. “We are also But the main thrust of the Greenest County is not public buildings the same as if they were in their looking at the whole question of use of tides and specific campaigns but attempts to win young own office. currents for power. hearts and minds and so make future adults more “We also encourage people to use video and “That though is the big strategic picture, but we environmentally conscious. “The whole process audio conferencing rather than getting together for need to bring it much more down to homes and takes time and I don’t think you’re going to see a meeting. The technology is not complicated, it is communities.” suddenly the whole population give up their cars changing behaviours and working practices but that This is Greenest County’s role. The county and jump on bicycles,” Councillor Pembroke takes time.”

24 ENVIRONMENT

Council leader Jeremy Pembroke, left, and Andrew Bacon, BT’s strategic development director for UK local government

have been no objections from the 18 parishes in his

We encourage people to use video and division, and few from environmental organisations. “There is a realisation that we cannot go on

sticking stuff in the ground,” he says. audio conferencing rather than getting Being greener is not merely virtuous but can also create jobs. Mr Bacon explains: “We decided that “ “ together for a meeting. The technology is not investment in social enterprises to create jobs in environmental work stood a good chance of success. complicated, it is changing behaviours and “Because of Greenest County we have been able to rally round organisations and get a momentum to it across all three sectors, but no one ever sat down working practices but that takes time and said ‘this is the budget, this is the project plan and this is the person leading the project’. “If you Suffolk’s modern Ipswich headquarters reflects on the project decided on it, which is exactly the asked any one person they probably would not say this approach, Councillor Pembroke says: “This culture we want to encourage with partners.” they are managing it because it is moving faster than building has a large percentage of hot desks that are Mr Bacon notes that Carillion and another they could control anyway. It’s a great example of not permanently occupied.” Across Customer partner, construction firm Balfour Beatty, have a what you can stimulate.” Services Direct there is a ratio of around two staff better understanding of the green aspects of Greenest County shows what a world without to every desk. facilities management and buildings use than conventional targets might be like. “You get to a The open nature of Greenest County has allowed either BT or Suffolk, “and so we introduced them stage where it goes beyond targets and it goes viral other partners to become involved. Councillor to Greenest County because we are broadly stuck and organisations create their own,” Mr Bacon says. Pembroke gives the example of highways with the buildings we have to for next 30 years and Councillor Pembroke concludes that any council maintenance contractor Carillion, which “dug up they represent 50% of carbon emissions, so emulating Suffolk must be prepared for a long haul a road in Aldeburgh and normally would have gone obviously we want to get better use out of them”. and content not to try to control progress. “There to quarry in north midlands for new materials but One environmental issue under Suffolk’s direct is no quick fix and you will not discover something instead recycled the stuff from the original road. control is waste disposal, where it plans a switch of Earth-shattering importance, it’s a question of “That saved 30,000 lorry miles and shows what can from landfilling to an energy-from-waste plant. slowly changing culture starting with the children,” be done if you think differently. You could never Despite the controversies that have dogged he says. “Then people say ‘yes, there has to be some come up with that by setting a target, but the guys incineration elsewhere, Councillor Pembroke says there sense in this, let’s see what we could do’.”

25 ENVIRONMENT Table talk tackles adaptation

Thirteen councillors from across the UK, many portfolio holders for environment, were brought together by LGiU for a roundtable discussion about adaptation – and specifically to understand how councils can lead on delivering adaptation in response to climate change. LGiU’s policy analyst Joyce Lee listened in.

he debates on adaptation to climate change at the local level have been patchy. The article Ton climate change in September’s issue of c’llr highlighted the inevitability of climate change and impact on local services, yet many local authorities are unaware of the actions needed to adapt their communities to the risks and opportunities. This inertia is not from a lack of desire but from a gap in local authorities’ understanding of the difference between practical mitigation and adaptation solutions. That was the basis of the discussion at the roundtable held by the LGiU to engage with councillors on the adaptation debate. “Mitigation has had a very high prominence in discussions and adaptation has been left out like Cinderella,” said Tim Wotherspoon, a South Cambridgeshire District councillor. Less is known about what type of action is needed to enable adaptation, which is why the roundtable often veered off into talking about mitigation. The time to raise awareness of adaptation cannot be delayed any longer. Roundtable Chair and Head of Local Sustainability at the LGiU Dr Andy Johnston said that there is now significant focus on The government agrees with this. Participant adaptation to raise public awareness about the issue. climate change in the policy arena, such as the UK Jonathan Capstick, Head of Local Government, Despite good intentions at the national level, the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK Climate Regional and Communities Team in Defra’s roundtable heard that there is a disconnect with the Projections 2009 and the upcoming Copenhagen Adapting to Climate Change Programme identified situation on the ground. Public perception is a conference in December to develop thinking on numerous ways in which the government is working significant challenge to getting the local debate going adaptation at the local level. He also stressed the with local authorities on adaptation. These include on adaptation. Anna Mackison, Wychavon District growing interest from third sector organisations on engaging local and regional partners in the Local councillor, said that “to the average householder, working with local authorities’ on climate change. Regional Adaptation Partnership board to 2040 just doesn’t figure on their radar especially in Adaptation is fundamentally a local issue. understand how the government can manage the the recession”. There is a sense of frustration from Councillor John Gardner from Stevenage Borough programme at the local and regional level. local authorities through their efforts to change this Council highlighted that “there are potential Defra is also working with the National perception. Councillor John Connor from opportunities for local government to improve Association of Local Councils and the Action Chichester Council added that “there’s this leisure facilities, to take advantage of climate with Communities and Rural England to develop incredible inertia amongst the public and we have change and to adapt to deal with extreme rainfall.” a guide for local councils and communities on to get the climate change message across to them”.

26 ENVIRONMENT

Other concerns

“raised at the roundtable included wider issues such as “ food security and population growth

There is a consensus from the roundtable that the threats into opportunities – what the LGiU refers promotes efficiency to address water shortage. leadership role of local authorities is crucial to to as positive adaptation – is also considered a more Similar schemes could be extended to address issues changing public perception, especially by setting an effective way of engaging with the communities than such as flooding and overheating, delivered through example for communities. “Until local authorities the gloom and doom headlines. For example, local authorities to homeowners. are actually seen themselves to be making some real some participants recognised that as the temperature Other concerns raised at the roundtable included initiatives and taking some real steps…it’ll be increases, councils can focus on opportunities wider issues such as food security, population very hard to push our constituents to do much,” such as promoting groundsource heating for new growth, but also the need for a better cross said Councillor Graham Gibbens from Kent and existing buildings. departmental approach to responding to climate County Council. John Sandy, Waverley Borough On the tricky issue of finance, councillors at the change. Councillor Angela Harvey from Councillor reiterated this adding that he will “feel roundtable recognised the need to be imaginative Westminster City Council was concerned that much more confident when the council start asking and find cost-effective adaptation solutions as there remains a lack of coordination between the public to do various things by the very fact that funding at the local and national level will tighten government departments and this sends a confusing we actually have started within our own house in times of a recession and public spending cuts. One message for local authorities implementing the ourselves”. of the ways to address this is partnership work with mitigation and adaptation measures on the ground. The roundtable made it clear that while the other stakeholders such as other local authorities, There is a great deal of enthusiasm from the adaptation agenda is often seen as technical and businesses, NGOs, development trusts and participants on adaptation and some councils are officer-led, elected members’ engagement in the universities. “We need to work together…we can’t already taking a lead on adaptation but the adaptation debate is an important step to addressing act in isolation because we just haven’t got the roundtable recognised that more local authorities this inertia. “The scientific and academic models funds,” said Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex need to get on board. have been developed but actions can only be County Councillor. The LGiU’s ongoing discussion with these taken if there is political will,” said Dr Johnston. For example, the Manhood Peninsula Partnership councillors in the coming months will hopefully Councillors are a good place to start as they can be was formed in Chichester to enable different address some of these gaps by building knowledge very tuned-in to what local communities need. The organisations to come together to discuss around adaptation for local authorities and drawing government also acknowledges this. environmental, social and economic challenges. This together their expertise to develop innovative Climate change offers opportunities and the enabled all partners to get more clarity on the views thinking and solutions. As elected members, their roundtable heard that councils need to start of other organisations to identify adaptation community leadership role is vital to encourage their thinking positively about the threats. This was solutions. councils to take adaptation seriously and raise public reiterated by Councillor Dr Stuart Anderson from One of the cost effective adaptation solutions awareness of the debate. Getting councillors Conwy County Borough Council who said that “it’s identified by a participant from the Government involved is an important step to converting their about making that gear change towards positive Office for London is to apply the concept of the pay- enthusiasm and willingness into practical actions thinking about the threats”. Positive thinking to turn as-you-save scheme that manages energy usage and on positive adaptation.

27 INNOVATION SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL Glyn Gaskarth from LGiU’s Centre for Service Transformation has been finding out about some of the small, but impressive projects from around the country that demonstrate local government’s capacity for innovation.

oliticians of all parties are calling for cuts in have organised a project called BeXfactor to public spending. Reductions will occur persuade young people to organise and participate Pwhoever is elected in 2010. These cuts are not in a local concert. Newark and Sherwood District by their nature bad. It depends where the axe falls. Council have set up creative apprenticeships to I fear politicians will make the easy cuts rather than prepare young adults for employment. Great implement the necessary reforms. Our public Yarmouth Borough Council has brought together services will be poorer as a result. all the services it offers to children under one roof. Comprehensive reform of big items of public Lancashire County Council operates baby expenditure such as our education, health and certificate and information folders which advise welfare systems would deliver large savings. young mothers of what local authority services they However, these reforms will prove unpopular can offer. and take considerable political courage. Politicians In community safety, Middlesbrough’s are more likely to cut small projects. These front Environmental Crime Unit works to improve the facing, small budget teams offer real value to their local environment. The London Borough of Brent communities. However, people are unlikely to targets irresponsible dog owners. Warrington protest their abolition so politicians are more likely Borough Council informs local residents of to cut them. Blackburn Museum highlights the WW2 service of British consumer threats using the latest communications In July 2009 the LGiU launched the Small is Muslim troops to tackle the arguments of extremists technology. Derbyshire County Council has a Beautiful competition. Any local authority service travelling lecture series to inform residents of the could submit information for consideration. We In our ageing category, Birmingham library full range of services the police provide. asked them to enter projects which were delivered service operates a telephone book club. Broadland In community cohesion, Blackburn Museum in an innovative manner but in a way that other District Council operates a Vulnerable People’s highlights the WW2 service of British Muslim authorities could learn from and perhaps adopt. Project which targets information to key workers troops to tackle the arguments of extremists. East Our aim was to identify these projects and to assist them to aid the elderly. Buckinghamshire Riding Council Registration services work to highlight their value. Registration Service has combined the registration acquaint citizens with marriage and citizenship Almost two hundred submissions have been of deaths with updating records for social care. The ceremonies by holding mock ceremonies in schools. received. Parish councils, districts and county Lancashire Doorstep Crime Theatre Group works Peterborough City Council has adapted the councils from each of the four countries in the UK with older citizens to help them learn how to deal citizenship ceremony existent in Canada and have answered the call. The services entered with doorstep scam criminals. tailored it to local needs. British Telecom has included Museums, Libraries, Archives and In the sustainability field, Essex County Council instituted an Adopt a Kiosk scheme to ensure their Licensing. They reveal the full ingenuity of local has made its restored historic mills a local tourist iconic telephone boxes are preserved. Rochford government. Some have been weird and wacky; attraction. Craven District Council Waste services District Council operates a shop at your local scheme others innovative and inspiring. We thank each of operates a history recycled project which performs to encourage local citizens to back local businesses. the contributors. school visits to encourage recycling. The London Derbyshire County Council have installed a gold In November and December the LGiU is Borough of Brent brought together voluntary card service granting specified citizens free bus organising five seminars to showcase selected groups and the council to clear up a decaying area. travel and discounts in local stores. projects in the five thematic areas. Details of these Newcastle City Council has joined together with These projects and many more will be presented events can be obtained on the LGiU website Siemens to ensure that its highway and traffic at the LGiU. It has been a pleasure to read each of (www.lgiu.org.uk). The themes are: ageing, signals operate on low voltage energy systems to the submissions. The winners of the Small is sustainability, young people, community safety and minimise their emissions. Beautiful Awards 2009 will be announced community cohesion. The following examples In the young people category, Newcastle City in January 2010. If you would like to attend are just a snapshot of the interesting projects we Council has a scheme that combats obesity through one of the seminars please contact have discovered. the arts service. The London Borough of Bexley [email protected].

28 BROADER HORIZONS WHEN THE WALL CAME DOWN Dave Wilcox reflects on a vibrant, unified Berlin celebrating 20 years without the wall between East and West. t e

sked by a British journalist just after the n . e m -

September 2009 national elections what his t e g r o

plans for a coalition may be, Guido f , T

A E

Westerwelle, Leader of the Free Democratic Party G R O of Germany replied that he’d only answer questions F n n a addressed to him in his native tongue. The linguistic Y challenge to the English speaking world has become an increasing rarity over the years to the extent that many of us have given up trying. After all, why do I want to embarrass myself when my European colleagues’ command of English is at least as good, if not better, than mine? The road to international misunderstanding is littered with examples of misinterpreted communication. The story goes that in 1963 when President Kennedy expressed solidarity with the people of West Berlin by pronouncing “Ich bin ein Berliner”, he had announced to the German people in Holland and cycling in Berlin?” was the question. Not only have the arts come alive but the built that he was a jam doughnut! Given that a jam After a pause there came the guffawed reply. “In environment has been transformed and the doughnut is a Berliner in the west but a Holland you secure your bike to the fence but when Reichstag, venue of the fire which allowed the Nazi’s Pfannkuchen in the East there was in fact no you come back it has been nicked. In Berlin, you to have the opposition arrested and seize power in ambiguity, but who wants facts to interfere with an padlock the cycle, but when in you come back the the 1930’s, has been transformed by Norman urban myth? wall has been stolen!” Foster’s glass dome, which sits atop the re- November this year marks the 20th anniversary “Ho! ho!” they hooted. And they cheered and established debating chamber of the of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rediscovery of sunk bottles of vodka and schnapps in both East parliamentarians. Similarly the Neues Museum, left democracy for millions of German people. Of course and West Berlin too, shocked by the collapse of the ruined after the Second World War and now re- the wall itself didn’t fall, it was torn down and wall, a metaphor in itself for the opening of the Iron designed by London based architect David breached by East Germans anxious to be freed from Curtain. Over the years East Germans had come to Chipperfield, should have been reopened by the time Erich Honecker’s reign of terror. Lengths of it still accept segregation as part and parcel of life and you read this piece. It will be home to the Egyptian remain in situ in recognition of its historical Honecker’s secret police, the Stasi, sustained a reign collection, the centre-piece of which is the 3,500 year importance, albeit many gift and trinket shops in of terror which defied the possibility of change. old bust of Nefertiti. Berlin sell graded chunks of authenticated wall to 20 years on, millions of Germans this September That the Egyptian masterpiece is located in tourists anxious to acquire a piece of modern history exercised their democratic rights, denied to them Berlin is not without its own irony. Today in the for themselves. between 1945 and 1989, and Berlin has much to Middle East smuggling treasure is a serious offence. At the time the wall was clambered over by East celebrate as it has developed an arts and culture It can be little consolation to the Egyptians that even Berliners and news of it spread, I was at a scene which outstrips much of the offer in the rest though they can’t have Nefertiti back, they can carry conference in Holland in conversation with the of Europe. a lump of the Berlin wall in their hold luggage if General Secretary of the Dutch Retail Trade Union, Now the capital of Europe’s largest nation, the they’re able to cough up the cash. A chunk of who told me that he had recently met the President chaos of the 1990’s meant that artists and modern concrete is hardly a fair exchange for a of a small Eastern European country who had performers could rent and buy bunkers, flats and jewelled bust of such majesty. But if they could also subsequently, quickly and unexpectedly died. premises for next to nothing and in the firmament take some of the new Berlin democracy back to the Within a day humour about the revolution had a vibrant and frequently anarchistic art and music wider region with them as well, that would be a true taken hold. “What’s the difference between cycling scene rose like a phoenix from the rubble. cause for celebration.

29 LG iU MEMBER’S SURVEY We asked, you said…

Andrew Collinge, LGiU director of policy reports on a survey to find out what you think of its services.

arlier this year we asked you, the LGiU contribution to the debates members, for your views on the services we that matter. While more than Eprovide. More than a thousand were good half (54%) viewing us as enough to respond to our customer survey which innovative is positive, this is measured your opinion on the range of policy something we’ll be working briefings, seminars, reports, conferences and other on next year as we continue services we provide, as well as your broader views to develop a policy on the direction of the organisation. We extend our programme that genuinely thanks to you as the information gathered through assists local government the survey is vital in helping us to tailor and improve through the challenging times our services to you, the members. ahead and builds influence Before feeding back, first some facts about for councils in Westminster what we’ve delivered so far in 2009. Across our and Whitehall. four centres – the Centre for Local Democracy, We recognise that alongside Centre for Children’s Services, Centre for Service membership of an Transformation and Centre for Local Sustainability organisation that holds sway – we have produced over 200 policy briefings, in the places that matter to including more detailed Policy Intelligence Briefings you and stimulates policy as well as the Horizon Scanning and Stakeholder thinking, you want the Briefings for Standard Plus and Premium members, highest quality policy on topics ranging from the most important Budget briefings available to local in years to the government’s response to the government. We are Laming Inquiry and the Duty to Promote confident that this is what Democracy. By the end of the year more than 1,000 you get but will continue to of you will have attended our seminars, again across keep an extremely close eye a huge range of subjects from local government on our performance and will pensions to the Comprehensive Area Assessment. be following up with more This in addition to all our other think tank policy detailed work on areas where work across areas as varied as overcrowding in we think there are still social housing, criminal justice and social improvements to be made. networking, valuable learning networks in areas as After our recent website economic development and carbon trading and upgrade we are particularly guides for new councillors to assist them in their keen that uptake of our new endeavours. services is spread as far as So, what do you think? More than four in five possible across your council (85%) of you hold a very or fairly favourable view – everyone is entitled to of our organisation; we’ll be working on the 1% receive briefings so do please who admit to being fairly unfavourable. The spread the word. To register chart to the right shows that we’re better known just tell colleagues to visit to you than a host of other organisations in local www.lgiu.org.uk and click government. Yes, you are members, but it is Something that is made easier through our new on ‘Welcome to the new website’. Ultimately, you encouraging that only the Audit Commission and website, there is more that we can do to make it are the best judges of what we do, so do be sure to LGA run us close and that in the case of these and easier for those receiving them to differentiate contact me if you want to tell us how we can get all other bodies asked about you value us more. between the different sorts of policy briefings we better at helping you make local government and In a sign of the value of our briefings, over nine supply. Awareness of our newer, more detailed the communities you serve better. in ten (91%) agree that we keep you well informed briefings is lower. Andrew Collinge, director of policy, can be about the issues affecting local government. Seven in ten (69%) say we make a significant contacted at [email protected]

30 ELECTIONS Will it still be alright on the night? The suggestion that election counts are moved to Fridays has stirred up a hot debate, much of it in the blogsphere. c’llr asked bloggers Joanathan Isaby and Matthew Cain to put the case for and against change.

No change, please! suffer” and voters want to “know who won as soon as possible” and even “fewer people will be able to Were you still up for Portillo at the 1997 general follow the results coming in” – as if there are more election? I’m sure those of you who were not at TV viewers at 3am on a Friday morning than 3pm counts yourselves vividly remember watching his on a Friday afternoon. Surely politicos haven’t defeat live on television, along with millions of become that detached from reality? families up and down the country. It’s a ritual which The average viewers of the BBC’s coverage of the directly links voters’ own trip to the polling station 2005 general election was just 4.3 million whilst the earlier in the day with the decision being made by viewers of the 2009 local election coverage was the nation as a whole. reported to be as low as one million And of course But the future of General Election Night is now there is no evidence that turnout is lower in in serious doubt, with many Returning Officers now authorities where counting is delayed by 12 hours. threatening to delay counting until the Friday The campaign is based on a straw man. Nobody morning at the next general election. I founded the Save General Election Night is trying to destroy general election night, just count I believe it is a matter of basic respect to those campaign through Facebook, along with fellow more local election votes a few hours later. But who have taken part – both as voters and candidates bloggers from across the political spectrum. Ours is perhaps we do need to delay general election counts. – that we should seek a result as soon as voting a genuine cross-party campaign which now has more There are two strong reasons in favour of closes. How many candidates will be happy to suffer than 5,000 signatories from those of all parties and counting ballot papers 12 hours later (assuming an unnecessary sleepless night, knowing their none who are united in the desire to see the general that they can be stored safely by the police). future is in the balance? election counts happen as soon as the polls close. Election staff are less likely to make mistakes if they But the wishes of the political class should be Let me know of any developments in your area by are counting during normal office hours. That secondary. First and foremost, people who have taken emailing me on [email protected]. should be the only substantial issue in this debate. the trouble to vote deserve to be told the result of the Jonathan Isaby is co-editor of And if councils can save money by delaying the election at the earliest opportunity – and that works ConservativeHome.com and the founder of the count, all the better. on two levels: we want to know what has happened cross-party Facebook-based campaign Save Secondly, election results are too important to be in our own constituency and we want to discover General Election Night. broadcast at a time when no-one is watching. A which party has won the election on a national level. result announced on a Friday afternoon is much This is where decisions by Returning Officers All change! better for a regional evening paper and an online around the country to delay their counts will affect audience, and plenty of time for weekend us all, regardless of the arrangements in our own The campaign to save general election night is one newspapers. Most importantly, most citizens won’t area: if it’s a close election nationally and too many I would have supported at the peak of my political wake up to a story that’s already over, they can constituencies count the following morning, the activism – even after I crashed my first car due to follow it unfolding throughout the day. whole country might be waiting for a result until fatigue whilst leaving a count in the early hours. But And then the new leaders of the nation will not have the Friday lunchtime. now I’m just an average joe I can see that it is not to be seen to ‘hit the ground running’ despite serious Not only would millions of people out at work in the public interest. sleep-deprivation but can have had a few hours kip be prevented from being able to follow the results Advocates of counting ballot papers in the early before being handed the nuclear launch codes. coming in, but the TV coverage would not be as hours of the morning argue that they are defending Matthew Cain is a former constituency extensive because of other calls on outside broadcast an important part of political engagement. They Labour party chair and blogs at units during the daytime. argue that “the TV coverage of the election will http://blog.matthewcain.co.uk.

31 POSTCARD FROM BERKELEY

weeks after the procedure she developed abdominal pains and ended up back in hospital where she underwent five days of inconclusive tests. Finally the pain went way. The cost of those five days: $65,000. Yes, it is a horrifically expensive mess – currently an eyeball-melting $2.2 trillion a year – more than the GDP of the entire United Kingdom and twice the average per-capita healthcare expenditure for industrialized countries. And of course, some 30 to 45 million Americans (depending on how you count them) have no medical insurance at all. Reforming healthcare has long been one of the Democrats key goals. The Clintons tried it in the 1990s and ran into a barrage of opposition. Remember Harry and Louise, that couple in the TV ads who fretted about bureaucrats running the nation’s hospitals? They should not to be confused with Thelma and Louise – both couples drove over a cliff but Harry and Louise took the Clinton Administration with them. Since then costs have continued to rocket and many organisations that opposed reform have had a change of heart. “So isn’t the solution obvious?” you ask. “Reduce costs by eliminating the profit motive in medicine, protect doctors from onerous Healthcare the litigation, cut administrative overhead, and decrease the price of drugs. Then use the saving to offer subsidised healthcare coverage to lower-income Americans.” Well yes and no. Yes if you are a rational human being and No if you are one of the sleazeballs making a mint from the current setup. American way Just like last time, the health insurance industry has slithered from under its rock to finance phony grassroots opposition. What’s really got their Chris Mead says it’s vested interests rather than concerns knickers in a twist is the idea of a cost-effective government-run insurance plan. All summer we’ve about people’s health that are resisting the President’s push had parades of demonstrators yelling “hands off my healthcare.” A scuffle at one event landed a for health reform. particularly rabid protestor in hospital from where he launched an appeal to help pay his exorbitant very August, while the rest of California basks not be disappointed. Instead, let your correspondent medical bills. Believe me, dear reader, you cannot in glorious summer, San Francisco is present you with a worms-eye view of the issues. make this stuff up. Eenveloped in cool romantic fog. But even as To illustrate the current dilemma let us eavesdrop As I write draft legislation is grinding through I watch European tourists shiver in their Lederhosen on this conversation at a doctor’s office: Congress. Ironically – and there’s nothing if not I know there is a hot issue afoot. How can I be sure? “Well Mr. Aardvark, your earache will probably irony in the American healthcare crisis – it’s Because famous people are sending me email. clear up by itself, but there is a faint chance it could several rightwing Democratic senators, the so-called Let’s take a look at my inbox. The old reliables be something more serious and you will sue the Blue Dogs, that are getting in the way of the public are all there: Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Bill beejezus out of me for missing it, so I’d better cover insurance option. Guess where their campaign Clinton; and wait, here’s Robert Redford. “Dear my ass by commissioning a raft of unnecessary tests. financing comes from. Friend” the Sundance Kid begins. What’s that Bob, Of course that’s expensive but on the up side I get Probably something will pass and whatever its we’re not on first name terms? Delete! Let’s see what a fee for each test that I order plus I have a financial deficiencies it will be a whole lot better than nothing. the President has to say. “Dear Christopher”, that’s interest in the laboratory that does the work, and “Christopher” Barack will write to me “Our long more like it “The fight for healthcare insurance your medical insurance will pay for everything. I struggle has been successful…” By the way, do you reform comes down to…” Ah, so that’s what it’s know you have insurance – otherwise my staff know why his emails always address me as all about. wouldn’t have let you through the door.” Christopher rather than Chris? It’s how my name Regular readers will not be expecting a profound And here’s a real life example: a few years ago my appears on my Visa card, that transcendental link study of the American healthcare crisis and they will dear wife donated a kidney to her mother. Three between me and the American political process.

22 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H OTB LOCA L GO VERNMENT INFORMATI ON UNIT 020 7554 2800 G [email protected]