IT APPEARS that the government has plans to get rid of district, borough and county councils (across England at least).
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In their place will be a unitary system. Here one single authority will cover all local government responsibilities in an area.
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Labour have talked for a long time about devolution. But their proposal is an oxymoron, as it’s the opposite of devolution!
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A simple rule of thumb is that as any group or organisation grows larger, it becomes more amorphous and less accountable.
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The government reconsiders this policy because if implemented, it could make people feel even more detached from the political system than they do today.
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A county like Hertfordshire – with a population of over 1.2 million – provides a perfect example of how daft the government’s scheme is.
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It has large towns like Watford (population 100.000 plus) and small villages like Cuffley, with a population of just over 4,000 people. Large parts of the county are used for agriculture.
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How on earth is one single authority cover all local government responsibilities in a county as diverse of Hertfordshire?
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A tinpot dictator in waiting may dream of such a gargantuan authority. However for ordinary people it’ll be an absolute nightmare.
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Instead of concentrating power in fewer hands, we should be devolving power & authority down to the lowest common denominator.