UK Politics

“The ultimate problem is perhaps the lack of seriousness with which local authorities are regarded and the lack of seriousness with which councils are run. More than in 1890, our political culture is dominated by Westminster and Whitehall. We are an over-centralised polity. We do not take local government seriously enough to give councils significant powers and adequate resources and tax-raising abilities. And we do not take local government seriously enough for the powers and resources and revenue-raising abilities that local authorities do have to be used well.

Few take any serious interest in local government matters. An account of the government of a large city other than London will rarely get 12 paragraphs in an earnest newspaper, let alone the 12 pages of a fashionable transatlantic journal. The sort of individuals who in 1890 would manage major acquisitions and improvement projects for provincial cities as part of their civic roles are not often the local councillors of 2023. And why should they be? Local authorities have limited independence, apart from in making mistakes.

Local elections are largely treated as national opinion polls. Councils are expected to do a great deal, but with fewer resources and almost no real autonomy. This is a problem wider than Birmingham, even if the city provides a good illustration of it.”

Some footnotes from the author are here.