New Local Government Network

Regional government needs sorting out says NLGN think tank
This was published: 2004-12-09
06:35:00
Independent think-tank, the New Local Government Network (NLGN) has called on local and central government to move urgently to ensure multi-level governance works better in the UK’s regions, "otherwise they will continue to be sold short".

Speaking on the eve of the launch of a new report Living with Regions: making multi-level governance work, author Emily Robinson of NLGN, said: “The way that local and central government work with the regional bodies over the forthcoming months is likely to set a pattern of relationships that will endure for many years to come. It is vital that they get this right. Whether the legitimacy of regional working comes to focus on central government agencies such as Regional Development Agencies and Government Offices or on the aggregation of local interests in the Regional Assemblies, it will have huge implications for both the regions themselves and the nature of governance in the UK.

The report has been welcomed by Local Government and Regions Minister, Nick Raynsford MP, who writes in a foreword of the need to face up to the unfolding nature of the devolution agenda: “Developments [in devolution] have created new challenges for those involved in the public sector’s delivery of services and policy, and have posed a new set of questions. For example, how can local government best influence regional decision-making? When does a ‘hierarchial’ approach to policy and delivery work, and when do more collaborative ways of working have to be found? […] This report provides a useful contribution to the how we can meet the challenges posed by the changing pattern of governance”.

Based on extensive interview research conducted across the UK, Living with Regions: making multi-level governance work reveals the need for a deeper examination of major issues of accountability, finance and inter-dependency between different tiers of government, with Ms Robinson remarking: “Multi-level governance is by its very nature complex and we should not shy away from that. The appropriate spatial level at which to take decisions will vary from policy area to policy area. But there are wider issues of accountability, finance and inter-dependency that need to be examined across the board. In a multi-level system, the connections between organisations are as important as the organisations themselves”.

The NLGN report carries a number of key recommendations for the future of multi-level governance in the UK, including:

> Make the Regional Assembly member position in local government into a high-profile Cabinet portfolio.

> Strengthen the scrutiny capacity of Regional Assemblies and extend it to take in the work of more regional and sub-regional agencies.

> Establish a ‘recall’ mechanism, whereby elected bodies could collectively call non-elected agencies to account.

> Instituting ‘Regional Observatories’ as statutory bodies with a duty to share knowledge and best practice across as well as within regions.

> Sharing buildings and workspaces.

> Making better us of technology to aid remote working and information sharing.

As Ms Robinson concludes: “In the end, what we are looking for is a combination of formal mechanisms and a commitment at all levels of governance to working in a more integrated fashion”.

Meanwhile, Geraint Williams of BT – which has supported the report’s publication – commented: "Multi-level governance is about bringing different institutions and organisations together and this isn't easy. Through our partnership work with Suffolk County Council and Mid-Suffolk District Council, where we are helping build a two-tier local authority joint venture, we are seeing that the private sector can act as an important third-party, facilitating the process, assisting communication, removing barriers and ultimately driving the collaboration through to delivery. A public-private approach gives local authorities the benefits of leading edge private sector expertise while still retaining direct control of service provision.”

The New Local Government Network (NLGN) is an independent think-tank, seeking to transform public services, revitalise local political leadership and empower local communities. NLGN was recently awarded ‘Think Tank of the Year’ by the political and cultural monthly, Prospect magazine.

The report is being launched on Thursday 9 December in central London at an early evening debate featuring Cllr Peter Chalke, Leader of the LGA Conservative Group; John Biggs, London Assembly member (Labour) and Deputy Chair of the London Development Agency; Simon Hodgson, Director of the Assembly Secretariat, West Midlands Regional Assembly; Geraint Williams, Business Strategy Manager for BT Education & Local Government; and the report’s author, Emily Robinson of NLGN.
Related links to this article: New Local Government Network