WIREDGOV

"Councils have the skills, confidence and ambition to lead our communities, but to see the true benefits of local decision making, particularly around creating the right environment for stimulating economic growth, we need the freedom to make independent decisions about local issues.

"The LGA has worked closely with the committee to develop the foundations for a more grown up relationship between central and local government, and we back the report's recommendation to move away from the 1,293 existing duties imposed on councils and replace them with a more balanced relationship between Whitehall and town halls.

"We echo the committee's praise of the City Deals. These arrangements should not be reserved just for cities and their surrounding areas. Wherever viable, councils should be given greater autonomy and the financial flexibility to plan long-term investment for their local communities.

"We hope that the report will open a wider debate over the importance of independent local government, and we will continue to work with the committee and our members to develop that debate with central government as the next General Election approaches. We would be particularly interested in how the code proposed by the committee might be given real legal force.

"England is one of the most centralised democracies in the world. Even within our own Union, locally-elected representatives in England have less power to make decisions on behalf of their communities than those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is time for Government to let go of the reins and give councils the independence to meet the needs of their communities and offer genuine local accountability."

Author: LGA Media Office
Contact : Jacob Lant, LGA Press Office, Telephone: 020 7664 3333