Why Labour?

Labour believes that the best way to govern ourselves and to deliver excellent services is in most cases through decentralisation and devolution.  We have an ambitious plan for the future of local government; giving councils an even stronger role at the heart of all public service spending and delivery in their area, with the citizen at the heart.  Elected local councillors should be able to challenge how all the local public service spending in their area is used and elected local authorities should be first among equals of local service providers, with the powers to work with communities to scrutinise, shape and lead. We also believe in ensuring social justice for all, wherever they live – which means that we insist on national standards in key service areas, and that we fund local services to help deliver this fairly.  

Labour in local government is working to deliver high quality, value for money local services.  On average, Labour councils cost the council taxpayer less than Tory or Lib Dem councils.

Key achievements:

• Since 1997 we have provided local government with a 39 per cent real terms increase in and have allocated an extra £8.9 billion over the three years of the current funding settlement. This contrasts with a 7 per cent real terms cut during the final four years of the last Tory government.
• We have freed up councils and given them new powers to act on behalf of their communities, from tackling anti-social behaviour to encouraging economic development.
• We have reduced bureaucracy and red tape, with a reduction in national performance indicators from around 1,200 to under 200 and less ring-fencing of funding.
• We restored London-wide government, abolished by the Tories, by creating the Greater London Assembly and the position of Mayor of London.
• We have seen an urban renaissance in Britain’s great towns and cities – regeneration on a massive scale in the centres of cities such as Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle.

A future fair for all:

• Our ‘Total Place’ reforms will help to cut out duplication, waste and bureaucracy, saving time and money which can be reinvested and deliver a genuinely seamless service.
• We are simplifying the number of funding streams to local government, with less ring-fencing, to provide better flexibility and ensure efficiency and value for money
• We are giving local councils the powers to innovate, be entrepreneurial and develop new sources of income.
• We will continue to support Regional Development Agencies in helping  economic recovery in our regions and challenging the disparity in economic development between our country’s regions.