All politicians frequently hear from their constituents about the importance of joined-up government, and the impact of its absence in decision-making.
For any government serious about delivering real power to local councils, Whitehall departments must stop working in isolation.
As the Opposition, Conservatives are working on how to recast government so that it works better from the perspective of the people we serve – like a business seeking to improve its performance by focusing on the customers’ engagement, rather than administrative convenience.
As I saw first hand during my time as Deputy Leader of Hillingdon Council and at the LGA, local government touches on the full range of matters from education to health to transport.
It is usual for councillors to be left to manage demands from competing government departments. Sometimes these are conflicts arising from statutory duties – for example, to protect the environment while also having to approve development, or to meet social care obligations despite no resources from government to meet the cost.
Ministers are eager to stress that they work with one another between departments, but what comes down to councils feels very different. When these demands conflict with those issued by another department, it leaves councils in a difficult position.
Since the Local Government Act 1972, successive governments have continued to add to local authorities’ statutory duties without a coherent strategy, with different departments advocating for conflicting priorities.
There was some optimism that a powerful new government, with a sizeable majority, would enact real devolution. Perversely, the Government’s devolution drive has left councils in the lurch.
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, for instance, touches on almost all departments, from housing to health.
Despite this, it is essentially a rehash of existing local government powers, rather than devolution from Whitehall. Indeed, pages of the legislation are about new powers for the Secretary of State to direct the new councils and mayors.
Sadly, it has become apparent that no minister in the department has realised that they can’t do this alone. While the Government talks about transferring more powers to local leaders, the opposite is true.
This is mainly because Whitehall departments are not willing to part with their powers, and ministers seem unwilling to talk to one another.
Nowhere is this more clear than in special educational needs and disabilities, where the Department for Education insists councils must spend to meet their legal duties, while the Treasury and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government insist councils must balance the budget each year.
In Opposition, the Conservatives must take time to reconsider how things could be done differently.
Our policy renewal programme is asking deep and searching questions about how councillors can be unshackled and councils enabled to deliver so much more, through effective and efficient local leadership of a range of services.
As we approach the next set of local elections for new authorities (if they do go ahead), the Conservatives will outline our aspirations for what local government is and what it must represent.
To fulfil the potential of our nation and people, we cannot remain the most centralised democracy in the developed world.