In case it wasn’t obvious, the chances of any significant local government reform – considering the current and expected state of local government finances – are as good as dead, rendering this whole series of posts more pointless than usual.
If you weren’t bored by the financial stuff in the previous piece, then prepare to be further underwhelmed by this examination of “the even-more-boring” practicalities of reforming local government.
One of the positive aspects of post-devolution Wales has been the growth in “partnership working” where government, business, trade unions and public service professionals collaborate and co-operate. The main vehicle for this in Wales at local government level is the Partnership Council.
The downside has been the proliferation of unaccountably regional committees and bodies (as outlined in Part III and in the graphic posted earlier).
Changes on any kind of scale – from relatively modest mergers of unitary authorities, right through to more radical propositions such as devolution/federalism or a return to a form of two-tier local government – would require buy-in from the WLGA, trade unions and the likes of One Voice Wales. Their structures would need to change to match the new reality too.
One Voice Wales would likely only continue if town & community councils continue to exist. If town & community councils were abolished or replaced, then the WLGA would likely become the sole local government forum.
The role of the WLGA would likely remain unchanged. Its mission statement is to
“….represent the interests of local government and promote local democracy in Wales. (The WLGA’s) primary purposes are to promote better local government, to promote its reputation and to support authorities in the development of policies and priorities which will improve public services and democracy.”
The WLGA could take on a greater role in:
- Creating a training and mentoring programme for newly-elected members – which they already do to a great extent.
- Commissioning research on local government affairs (perhaps in tandem with universities).
- Drafting and updating a code of conduct for elected members.
- Facilitating collaboration in service delivery across multiple local authorities.
- Providing arbitration for disputes between different local authorities (to prevent them escalating to Welsh Government level or the courts).
In a scenario where federalism of devolution is introduced to Wales, the WLGA could provide a forum for the provincial assemblies. In practical terms, this could – for example – help coordinate the introduction of the same legislation in all provinces at the same time.
