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Local government reform suggested |
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Friday, 10 February 2006 |
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It is clear that the present boundaries of local authorities were not
set for the benefit of local people. Rather they were fixed to try and
help the Conservative Party and on the whole they have failed in this
purpose. Now Labour's Jack McConnell and Tom McCabe are suggesting big
changes.
The SNP's John Mason makes the following points at this stage in the debate:
- The present boundaries are far from ideal. But there is a huge cost in changing them and the Government must take this into account. Staff time and energy would inevitably be focused on the changes for at least 2 years and services would inevitably suffer as a result.
- As part of any reorganization of local government, the relationship between central and local government must be made a lot clearer. What is the point of local democracy and local elections if all the real decisions are made in Edinburgh? This week we have seen the Government demanding Council Tax increases to be between 0 and 2.5%. But surely local democracy means allowing local voters and local councils to make decisions which central government does not like? Otherwise all we are left with is local administrations.
- How local government is funded is also a key part of the equation. Local authorities should be much more in control of their own finances, preferably using a fairer system of tax like local income tax. That in itself would help free them from central government interference.
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