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What the Manifestos Say 2015 Devolution Investing in Our Nation’S Future: the First 100 Days of the Next Government

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What the Manifestos Say 2015 Devolution Investing in Our Nation’S Future: the First 100 Days of the Next Government WHAT THE MANIFESTOS SAY 2015 DEVOLUTION INVESTING IN OUR NATION’S FUTURE: THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE NEXT GOVERNMENT This document sets out the key devolution policy detail for local government from the 2015 party manifestos. As part of our 100 days campaign, the LGA calls for the next government to: • Enable everyone to contribute to and benefit • Let councils retain 100 per cent of business from local growth by devolving economic rates growth without a corresponding cut in powers through councils to Local Enterprise revenue support grant, further incentivising Partnerships (LEPs) so they can coordinate councils to grow local economies. and boost the delivery of jobs, housing and • Replace the Barnett formula with a system of growth in all areas. distribution for the countries of the UK based • Give all councils in England the same traffic on need and more appropriate and relevant management powers as London and Wales incentives. to reduce the costs, emissions and disruption • Devolve all funding for local growth, from congestion. regeneration, skills and employment support • Allow councils to set locally appropriate fees, through councils to LEPs, replacing the charges and subsidies (including public current system of more than 100 funding transport subsidies and planning fees) streams so investment decisions can be enabling councils to support those who need based directly on what businesses need it most. to create jobs. • Let councils set rates and discounts for • Announce the establishment of an council tax and business rates so they can independent body for the distribution better respond to local circumstances. of funding to councils. 2 CONTENTS Devolution deals 4 Constitutional reform 6 Devolved nations 8 Working with communities 9 CONSERVATIVE PARTY MANIFESTO LIBERAL DEMOCRAT PARTY GREEN PARTY MANIFESTO https://www.conservatives.com/ MANIFESTO https://www.greenparty.org.uk/ manifesto http://www.libdems.org.uk/manifesto 2015-manifesto.html LABOUR PARTY MANIFESTO UKIP MANIFESTO http://www.labour.org.uk/manifesto http://www.ukip.org/manifesto2015 3 MANIFESTO POLICY PROPOSALS Devolution deals joined up in ways that make sense to the people who use them. (p33) Conservatives • Commission a replacement for the Work • Rebalance our economy, build a Northern Programme at a more local level, working Powerhouse and back elected metro mayors. with local authorities to join up support for (p7) the long-term unemployed. (p48) • Devolve far-reaching powers over economic • Establish an English Regional Cabinet development, transport and social care to Committee chaired by the Prime Minister. large cities which choose to have elected (p64) mayors. (p13) • Enable city and county regions to retain 100 • Legislate to deliver the historic deal for per cent of additional business rates raised Greater Manchester, which will devolve from growth in their area. (p64) powers and budgets and lead to the creation • Restore fair funding across England, of a directly elected Mayor for Greater alongside longer term multi-year budgets, so Manchester. (p13) that local authorities can plan ahead on the • In Cambridgeshire, Greater Manchester and basis of need in their area and protect vital Cheshire East, allow local councils to retain services. (p64) 100 per cent of growth in business rates, so • Establish local Public Accounts Committees, so they reap the benefit of decisions that boost that every pound spent by local bodies creates growth locally. (p13) value for money for local taxpayers. (p64) • Devolve further powers over skills spending • Abolish Police and Crime Commissioners, end and planning to the Mayor of London. (p13) the subsidy of firearms licenses, and mandate • Deliver more bespoke Growth Deals with local police forces to work closer together. (p51) councils, where locally supported, and back • Ensure drug treatment services focus on Local Enterprise Partnerships to promote jobs the root causes of addiction, with proper and growth. (p13) integration between health, police and local Labour authorities in the commissioning of treatment. (p52) • Give city and county regions more power over the way buses are operated in their area. They Liberal Democrats will be able to decide routes, bear down on • Establish a Government process to deliver fares, drive improvements in services, and greater devolution of financial responsibility bring together trains, buses and trams into a to English local authorities, and any new single network with smart ticketing. (p26) devolved bodies in England, building on the • Save money and create more responsive work of the Independent Commission on services by building co-operation between Local Government Finance. Any changes public services and organisations. Pooling must balance the objectives of more local funds across local areas reduces inefficiency autonomy and fair equalisation between and avoids duplication. Services must be communities. (p136) 4 • Devolve more economic decision-making • Develop the Community Budgets model to local areas, building on the success of for use in rural areas to combine services, City Deals and Growth Deals, prioritising encouraging the breaking down of the transfer of transport, housing and boundaries between different services. (p89) infrastructure funding, skills training and back- • Enable local authorities to levy up to 200% to-work support. (p26) Council Tax on second homes where they • Use central government public procurement judge this to be appropriate. (p97) policy as a tool of local growth and community • Allow local authorities more flexibility to development, for example by purchasing from borrow to build affordable housing, including diverse sources and using local labour, goods traditional council housing, and devolve full and services, and encourage local government control of the Right to Buy. (p99) to do the same. (p26) • Remove the requirement to hold local • Complete the ongoing review of Business referenda for Council Tax changes, ensuring Rates, prioritising reforms that lessen the Councillors are properly accountable for their burden on smaller businesses, ensure high decisions by introducing fair votes. (p136) streets remain competitive and promote more efficient use of land. Liberal Democrats Green remain committed to introducing Land Value • Make preparations to replace the uniform Tax (LVT), which would replace Business business rate by a system of Land Value Tax, Rates in the longer term and could enable where the level of taxation depends on the the reduction or abolition of other taxes. rental value of the land concerned. The rates Extend the Business Rates review to ensure it would be decided locally with no caps, and considers the implementation of LVT, as well subject to a degree of equalisation between as interim reforms like Site Value Rating that richer and poorer areas, and would be kept and could be completed within five years. Charge spent locally. Transition to Land Value Tax could the Land Registry with completing registration begin by the last year of the Parliament and then of all substantial land and property holdings extend over the following 10 years. (p42) in England and Wales by 2020. (p28) • Invest £2 billion in a network of community • Build on successful Tourism North and banks, mutually owned and serving local Tourism South West initiatives to devolve more areas or particular groups. (p47) power, resources and decision-making to • Work for the abolition of the City of London local areas to promote their unique tourism Corporation and the special statuses it enjoys. propositions in the UK and globally. (p35) (p47) • Deliver a reformed and improved Work • Remove cap on what local authorities are Programme in partnership with English local allowed to raise in Council Tax, allow local government, and the national governments councils to conduct revaluations and to set of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to their own multiplier rates, provided they are ensure help and training are more tailored more progressive, and not require a Council to local employment markets and better Tax referendum when they do so. (p59) integrated with other services. (p43) 5 MANIFESTO POLICY PROPOSALS • Allow local authorities to levy new local taxes, Constitutional reform such as local tourist taxes, empty homes levies, supermarket taxes or workplace Conservatives parking levies, and to set rates for and keep • Strengthen and improve devolution for each part or all of some taxes collected locally, part of our United Kingdom in a way that such as income tax and VAT, and distribute accepts that there is no one-size-fits-all them. (p59) solution. Implement the Smith Commission • Allow local authorities freedom to set local and St David’s Day Agreement or equivalent fines, fees and charges. (p59) changes in the rest of the UK, including • Ensure that grant funding is sufficient to pay English votes for English laws. (p70) for all statutory services that councils are • Change parliamentary procedures so that required to provide. To fund discretionary the detail of legislation affecting only England activities, allow local authorities to set local or England and Wales will be considered by business rates, and then distribute the whole a Committee drawn in proportion to party of Council Tax receipts and Business Rate strength in England or England and Wales. receipts between local authorities on a basis (p70) decided by a Commission independent of • Add a new stage to how English legislation central government set up by local authorities is passed; no bill or part of a bill relating themselves. (p59) only to England would be able to pass to its Third Reading and become law without being approved through a legislative consent motion by a Grand Committee made up of all English MPs, or all English and Welsh MPs. (p70) • Extend the principle of English consent to financial matters such as how spending is distributed within England and to taxation – including an English rate of Income Tax – when the equivalent decisions have been devolved to Scotland. (p70) Labour • Replace the House of Lords with an elected Senate of the Nations and Regions, to represent every part of the United Kingdom, and to improve the democratic legitimacy of the second chamber.
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