More so than other parties, the Liberal Democrats depend on their grassroots’ presence in local government. The foot soldiers’ importance has increased as the party’s polling strength wanes. So, Nick Clegg will be aghast that 88 leading Liberal Democrats have written to the Times (£) to castigate the government’s ‘front-loaded’ cuts to local government.
Tuition fees were thought to be the toughest possible battle for Clegg, but this will run them close. Government MPs have been cast into a black mood. The coalition’s unity has been rocked; its long-term prospects weakened. Now Clegg and Cameron face a tactical dilemma: do they conciliate or do they fight?
The indications tend to fighting. The dissenters criticise Eric Pickles’ refusal to ‘lead change’, a frequent complaint and one that suggests Pickles has mastered his brief and is determined not to micromanage decentralisation. For his part, Pickles contests the view that average cuts of 4.4 percent are ruinous, and, unusually for this government, the DCLG is running an effective rebuttal service. Cameron’s condemnation of Liverpool Council’s militancy at yesterday’s PMQs being a prime example.
In truth, many councils are politicking while continuing to feather the nest. This week’s Spectator contains an extensive analysis by Ross Clark and Martin Vander Weyer (read them or subscribe from just £1 an issue here) and there are myriad other instances of waste and intransigence. In North Lincolnshire, councillors of all stripes are resisting moves to publish details of expenditure on councillors and middle managers, an area of spending that increased by 20 percent between 2006 and 2009. Elsewhere, councils use ratepayers’ money to fund expensive private health insurance policies for their top officials.
All the while, services are threatened with closure, essential subsidies are rescinded and street lighting falls into disrepair. But errant councils are just warming up. The numerous protests outside town halls, community centres, libraries and so forth are indicative of something deeper than tribal political activism. The government may invoke ‘the spirit of individualism’, but that does not yet match the public’s demand for government. Transparency and accountability are fashionable in SW1, but the culture of dependency is entrenched and pervasive. Cameron and Clegg face an arduous slog.
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