Tensions under the surface

The coalition government’s honeymoon stops on 20 October, when the spending review is announced.
Thereafter, the gloves are off and the Government faces its first real test as details of the cuts become clear.
Much depends on the crucial period between now and October, and the extent to which ministers will be able to come to agreement with their political allies currently running most of local government.
The LGA conference in Bournemouth this week is the most important gathering of public sector leaders since the election, and it is not surprising that [communities secretary] Eric Pickles and his team are taking it seriously, with Mr Pickles pointedly regarding it as a party conference.
In turn, the LGA leadership is keen to show that it has the ear of the coalition, and that while there are differences, especially on the schools agenda, these can be ironed out. Both central and local want the relationship to work, not only because they are politically from the same sides, but because the alternative of non-co-operation would be a disaster for them and the public.
But tensions are already clear. The spinning of Mr Pickles’ speech on Tuesday morning with its angle of ‘non jobs’ was hardly conducive to creating positive headlines about local government. LGA chairman Dame Margaret Eaton was obliged in her own speech to ask politicians to ‘stop chasing cheap headlines at our expense.’
In his conference address, Mr Pickles then proceeded to argue that chief executives were superfluous and their jobs could be done by executive leaders, not a necessarily attractive prospect to Tory senior councillors. Many of them will also argue that if the minister is such a localist, he should let them decide their own forms of governance.
The cancellation of Building Schools for the Future projects has also aroused the ire of leaders, and the whole free schools agenda raises questions over the future role of education authorities.
It is inevitable that central/local tensions will exist, as they did when Labour controlled both local and central government. But, with a background of deep spending cuts which could impact disproportionately on councils, these differences – often exacerbated by needlessly provocative comments – need to be removed.
Michael Burton, Editor, The MJ