Abolish and be praised
tially admirable aim will be criticised from Nor should Mr Jenkin be suggesting that every side over the next three years. there need be few redundancies and that The opposition from vested interests is those who find themselves offered jobs with very strong. In the late 1970s Labour, and lower salaries should be paid something for especially the Labour left, discovered that the 'detriment'. He will never get the sup- local government, no longer sustained by port of unions or of the majority of the apolitical decency and the public- employees themselves for what he is spiritedness of local worthies, had become doing, so he might as well make a virtue of so weak in practice, yet so strong in the necessity, and proclaim loudly that powers granted it by law, that it was ideal thousands of bureaucrats will be un- ground to occupy. Socialist theoreticians employed. After all, he himself has said took money to experiment on the people, that `if we do not achieve substantial sav- and socialist politicians took positions from ings when this exercise is finished, I will which to take over parliamentary consti- have failed'. He should not discourage a tuency associations and organise attacks on confrontation with the Labour authorities the Government. Their freedom with in which they try to defy the law.
money enabled them to advance their The trouble is that Mr Jenkin will find it friends into thinly disguised political difficult to gather support for his scheme appointments, and also to entrench the in- because it is too timid to sustain its radical terest of public sector trade unions by in- intentions. He will find it hard to refute the venting and protecting more and more jobs. attack that the joint boards for such ser- Enormous rate rises, and the corruption of vices as fire, police and public transport (in standards of public service, resulted. he metropolitan counties, but not the
But Mr Jenkin should also recognise that GLC) will be even more remote from the much of the damage was done by Conser- ratepayers than what exists at present. vatives themselves, and that Conservatives Above all, he will have no argument against in local government will be even more for- those who say that his replacement for the midable opponents than the metropolitan ILEA — a joint board of the inner London Labour majorities if they succeed in work- boroughs — will, if that is possible, be even ing upon backbench Tory MPs. Conser- less suitable than what at present exists. At vative reforms invented both the GLC (in present, every inner London GLC coun- 1963) and the metropolitan counties (in cillor is on the ILEA, so there is a direct 1973), and each change made local govern- relation between the elector and the majori- ment more unwieldy, expensive and ty of those on the authority. That link will political. Tories at national level thought go, and the borough councillors appointed that local successes boosted national to the new joint board will not have known, prestige. Instead they have demoralised when they were candidates, whether they
local government, would have anything to do with education. The point that Mr Jenkin needs to make Many councils will palm off their duds on to get popular support against his critics is the board, and parents will have an even that local government has grown much too smaller voice. Mr Jenkin should either large to have any feel for the local problems devolve education to individual boroughs, that it is supposed to minister to. When as the Macmillan government intended local politicians complain about the assault when it created boroughs bigger than those on their autonomy, he should not reassure recommended by the Herbert Commission,
them that it is slefe,4111*Nsk«volteeitevolosal**•,,,tievis directly elected ILEA which autonomy can ::possibibikastiig fttiv is %void raise its own rate. Mr Jenkin and the
when the rate sqpport grant p_ays ernmept are running large political than half of council spendifiNV
tia tta ,,risks by Ittempting these reforms. They wring their haals about what 'jajçn must deploy the most vigorous political to all their functions )40444,is w e er arguments in their defence, and challenge any council sh6d1/1 Be trying toliatate•tliopr4e4ions of local government.
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