To lead is to inspire but what is left to get inspired about in this rump of a Local Government? Isn’t this what the leader of Birmingham City council meant when he described a future in which the council could no longer afford to run libraries, museums, parks, swimming pools and sports centres? Where schools were independent bodies, Housing Associations replaced the council as the landlord and the private sector emptied the bins. With a budget cut by 50% the council would be forced to concentrate its meagre financial resources on child protection and adult social care.
It’s difficult to see why anyone would want to be elected to such a council let alone lead it! Why would an ambitious and talented senior manager want to be chief executive of such a place? What impact could you have on the well being of local residents, how could you tackle health inequality ,how would you stimulate regeneration, raise expectations, tackle youth unemployment, promote social inclusion and community cohesion, tackle racism, homophobia and disability hate crimes, how could you model good employment practices promote equal pay and challenge sex discrimination and sexual harassment.
Perhaps the vision for local government was always too ambitious. Certainly it was not achievable by working in isolation but it did recognise that the NHS could not deliver health equality, that tackling crime was not the sole responsibility of the police, that HA’s couldn’t solve homelessness, that voluntary, community and faith groups were partners in tackling poverty, drug abuse and gang culture and that protecting the environment couldn’t be left to the private sector.
LA’s were never just about providing a diverse range of services. They were about using their influence as a large employer to model good practise, set fair wages and demonstrate equal opportunities. As a large provider of services they gave an alternative to the profit motive and the means to work with others to benefit the wider community.
Council leaders described a local vision where the difference in life expectancy was narrowed, where further education was open to all, where the young, the old and those from ethnic groups felt included, were homelessness and long term unemployment were a thing of the past and people felt safe.
Managing contacts for home help and residential care services and delivering an effective child protection service are worthy enterprises aimed at safeguarding the most vulnerable but they will not make our villages, towns and cities better places.
Blair McPherson www.blairmcpherson.co.uk
