One of the cornerstones of democracy is that the public can trust those that they have elected to govern, whether at a national or local level, and that those who make the rules will follow them.
That’s why, as scandal after scandal emerges from Downing Street, every elected councillor in the country is damaged by Boris Johnson’s actions.
The revelations of Boris Johnson’s parties throughout lockdown – and, perhaps more importantly, his repeated denials being exposed as lies – are undermining trust in government, which is now hitting rock bottom.
And who can blame the public? If they can’t trust the Government to follow rules designed to keep us all safe, how can they trust them to act in their best interest at all?
Public trust in local government, however, remains high for now. While the Government was partying, those in local government stepped up to care for their communities.
In December, the Association for Public Service Excellence found that three times as many people trust councils over central government when it comes to service delivery; just 12 per cent trust ministers in Whitehall to make decisions about their local areas.
“People trust local government to act in their best interest more than national governments”
Feelings of local unity have remained high throughout the pandemic, and local and hyper-local responses have been vital to delivering the support that local people so desperately need.
The impact of ‘partygate’ will continue to be felt long after Mr Johnson has finally gone.
People rely on government to act in their best interest, and they trust local government to do that more than national governments.
Putting more power and responsibility in the hands of councils – accountable, transparent, trusted and democratic – offers one way to repair the damage that the Prime Minister has caused.
The long-awaited levelling up white paper should include a genuine deepening of the roles and responsibilities of local government, as well as a plan to provide the long-term investment into struggling regions that can make a lasting change.
If that happens, it might actually be worth throwing a party to celebrate.