Think tank calls for councils to havemoresay
Political Correspondent NCE local government wielded huge power in Glasgow and the west of Scotland.
Between 1975 and 1996 Strathclyde Regional Council and Glasgow District Council controlled public services and those in charge were among the most powerful politicians in Scotland.
Local Government reorganisation to single tier authorities and then devolution changed that.
Now it is Holyrood with the power, and ministers set many of the priorities which councils are expected to deliver.
Several services have been taken out of council control and their influence in others lessened.
Budgets have been cut to the point where it has been said some services may not be able to be delivered in the future. Some argue the creation of Arms Lentgh External Organisations (Aleos, eg Glasgow Life) diminished accountability to councillors.
Glasgow’s budget allocation from the Scottish Government in the space of one year was cut from £1.24billion to £1.21bn.
For several years before, the ability to raise more of its own money was
Otaken from it with the 10-year council tax freeze. The council has been able to generate just 12% of its own income through fees and charges for services. Council sources say this makes the authority more vulnerable when budgets are cut if you can’t raise tax or increase business rates.
Public service think tank Reform Scotland has produced a paper ‘Blueprint for Local Power’ looking at how to strengthen decision-making at a council level.
It highlights a lack of financial autonomy and increasing centralisation as affecting progress at a council level.
The paper states: “We need to find an appropriate balance between central and local government with a presumption in favour of power exercised as close to those affected.”
It adds: “Greater Fiscal autonomy and control over revenue raising powers are essential to enhancing local accountability and responsiveness to people’s needs.”
Even with the centralisation Glasgow City Council is still responsible for the delivery of a huge amount of services affecting people’s lives on a daily basis.
Education and social work remain the two largest departments but job creation and economic innovation, a strategic housing role, regeneration, roads maintenance and services delivered by Aleos like sports centres, libraries, museums and parks are all administered from departments under the direction of the City Chambers.
The diminution of council power has been happening for a long time according to an academic in the city.
It was suggested before the Scottish Parliament was created it would suck up powers from councils.
Dr Neil McGarvey, senior politics Teaching Fellow at Strathclyde University, said the power now lies in Edinburgh.
He said: “Post 1999 it has been the long trajectory of centralisation. The freezing of council tax for years took away local taxation powers.”
He mentions the single service reforms to the police and fire services across the country as another example.
Dr McGarvey, added: “However it’s not just the SNP. You can go further back to water and sewerage service reform and further education colleges. Even the housing stock transfer in Glasgow took away a service from the council.”
Council elections traditionally have a far lower turnout than General elections and it is not clear if that’s because people see them as less relevant or because national politicians and elections attract more publicity.
The last elections in Glasgow in 2012 attracted a turnout of just 32%. The Holyrood elections see more than 40% turnout.
THE post referendum increase in turnout in 2015 and 2016 and the General Election campaign could increase the turnout this time round.
Whoever finds themselves in control of the council will have to contend with less cash than previous generations and less power and influence than previous generations of council leaders.
The Conservatives and the Greens in their manifestos criticise a growing centralisation of power.
The Tories state: “Scotland is becoming one of the most centralised countries in the Western world.
Power is delivered in a top-down manner and taken away in the same way.”
The Greens want greater financial autonomy to be transferred to councils as more autonomy is given to Holyrood from Westminster.
The SNP however, says power and decision making is being transferred to a more local level.
Last week the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said: “The focus of the Scottish Government is on encouraging councils to empower communities across the country. It is important that we do not consider just what power local authorities should have but also how local authorities then transfer more of their power to local communities.”