I’ve had some more letters from the Ministry. It’s getting a bit Orwellian. Black is white and white is black. Everyone is equal but some are more equal than others. On top of this they’re trying to cancel elections. It just doesn’t seem right. The devolution white paper seems anything but. More like the centralising of local democracy and ever-increasing diktats from Westminster.

Democracy Denied

Local government reorganisation is all part of the plan. Call me old fashioned, but I always thought devolution meant the de-centralising of power, decision-making and resources pushed away from Westminster. Local councils will morph into uniform entities of at least 500,000 people. Then strategic authorities, with mayors, will sit above these taking with them powers of planning. And while all this fundamental change is forced upon us, elections will be cancelled!

On the other hand, these new mega councils will have powers to confiscate badly parked e-bikes or fine children for climbing trees. They can suspend or disqualify councillors for bringing the council into disrepute. This includes arguing with officers or just not really towing the line. Of course it’s all out for consultation. Really? We know from the housing and new planning policies, where 90% of councils told them to look again, nothing will change. It’s probably why they’ve decided to abolish us. What we have here isn’t devolution, it’s Stalinism.

Double-Speak of the Highest Order

I’m not dogmatically opposed to reorganisation. I can see where benefits could be achieved. In Devon, the councils are already looking at how we work together in strategic partnerships. Waste and leisure centres are just two examples. This can all be done without the interference of government and surely is what devolution is all about. Local solutions for local problems decided by local people.

Quite how removing democracy from local people and shifting decisions and power to new authorities answering to central government is devolution. It smacks of double-speak of the highest order. Just continually making the same statement over and over again doesn’t make it true. These laws will not make decision making closer to the people. It will not allow local residents to have a say on how their neighbourhoods develop. It will create layers of new bureaucracy, council of mayors, council of the regions, council of the leaders. All creating the complexity to allow central government to push its own monolithic agenda because they know best. I don’t think so.

Short Changed

All these diktats and instructions arrived just before Christmas. The same time councils were given their final financial settlement from government. In short, how much money we were getting. As a rural district council, we haven’t fared well. The main loss was the Rural Services Delivery grant. This grant recognised the extra costs for delivering services in a rural area. It’s been repurposed (government jargon.) It’s this government’s way of redirecting resources from rural to urban.

Don’t agree with it but then that’s what urban areas said about the previous regime. What I really object to, is the failure to make up the shortfall from the National Insurance increases. Putting aside the shameful taxation of work rather than wealth by a Labour government, we were told we would be reimbursed 100%. It’s a grubby piece of financial manoeuvres.

It’s all incredibly disappointing. It would appear we’ve replaced a government of corruption and charlatans with a bunch of dullards and dimwits. I know their slogan began with ‘C’ for change, ‘C’ for clueless might have been more apt. No wonder people are so angry and disillusioned.