Less central Government control means more Governement control

Dan Hannan, in his Telegraph blog, points a to CiF piece by Eric Pickles that Dan reckons is another page from The Plan:

Taxpayer-funded campaigns conducted by private lobbying firms mean public money gets taken beyond the local area, public policy is weakened and public discourse becomes a soundbite battle. Lobbyists are not subject to freedom of information or transparency rules. Democracy is at its strongest when it is cost-efficient, open and transparent, and lobbying on public money undermines it.

We need to change our political culture and the rules on publicity because these sorts of campaigns are not localist: public money is being spent outside the local area on national lobbyists to influence national politicians on parliamentary matters.

In principle I can't argue with the desire, the problem is that far too many laws and targets are imposed from on high through control of 75% of local council budgets, which means that councils do need to try to influence policy. So what will you do about it, Eric?

This new government wants a total change in the way our country is run – from closed systems to open markets, from bureaucracy to democracy, from big government to "big society", from politician power to people power.

So I intend to introduce tough new rules around council publicity that will increase transparency and make sure Whitehall and town halls talk directly in open and accountable ways

OK, so far so good. Nobody can argue against more transparency, or little white lambs gamboling in the fields and cuddly kittens for all children for that matter.

Councils are part of the team.

What team would this be, Eric?

We want to hand power back to councils so the door is open.

Which door, Eric? I've a feeling this is going to end in tears.

If a local politician wants to change something they only need to knock, pick up a pen or fire off an email. We will continue to do business openly

Ah, now I get it. What you are really saying is that you want to keep control and do it in such a way that councils have to come cap in hand to you in an email or telephone call. That doesn't sound very open to me, in fact it sounds decidedly dodgy. Cosy chats with your mates negotiating away our money in secret doesn't sound very transparent to me. Just a thought, but you haven't got a sofa in your office, have you, Eric?

Local councils are going to have a lot more power to shape their community under the new government.

No they aren't, you've just said they will have to ask your permission to change anything.

But accountability and transparency need to go with it. I want a transparency revolution so local people can hold local politicians to account about how their hard-earned cash is being spent. I want a transparency revolution so local people can hold local politicians to account about how their hard-earned cash is being spent.

No, what you are saying is that you want local councils to take the blame for your decisions. We've been there for the past 13 years and it really doesn't work because to get the decisions that they want councils have to lobby you and your department, which is where we came in.

That is why I have urged all councils to publish details of all spending over £500 in full and online so you can see what they are spend your money on.

Do you really think this will stop them spending money on lobbyists? Where there's a will, there's a way and all that. There's only one way to stop them spending money on lobbying central government, get out of the way and let councils live and die by their own decisions. That means letting them raise their own cash and make their case to local voters.

So, I've got a better idea. Why don't we do away with the Communities and Local Government department and let the Government concentrate on defence of the realm, foreign affairs and criminal justice and let local communities get on with their own lives.

There's only one party that really believes in localism and, sadly, we aren't in Government.

The more we see of the coalition the more its obvious that we need a real swing to libertarianism and not this faux localism we are seeing from the coalition. The holiday is over, lets get back to the task of holding them to account and working for true localism. That takes money and time, so please be generous with both and help us to maintain our momentum.