Tory councillors must speak up before it’s too late

By Jeremy Beecham

It’s time for Tory councillors and their leadership to stand up and be counted on their Party’s proposals for local government.

We know many of them are unhappy with Tory policy on elected mayors, directly elected police commissioners, proposals for the creation of independent secondary schools on the Swedish model and significant parts of their recent housing green paper. At their spring conference the Tories announced proposals for primary school academies which would further threaten the vital role of local councils in education and undermine the education our children receive.

Have Conservative councillors and the LGA Tory Group been consulted on these policies? Do they agree with them? And if not, what are they doing about it to alter their manifesto?

The Tory councillors’ spokesman on education, Cllr. Les Lawrence from Birmingham, recently told a Commons committee of his extreme disquiet with David Cameron and Michael Gove’s plans for Swedish-style free schools. His submission was based not on political expediency, but what is right for our children. This is an honourable exception to the unquestioning norm.

Labour local government has never been afraid to argue the case for local communities and local councils with the Labour Party or the Labour Government directly, and through the National Policy Forum, and where necessary to do so publicly. As manifestos are prepared for the general election it’s vital that local government leaders in all main political parties campaign for a strong role for local councils.

Will Conservative councils and councillors stand up and be counted or will they let party loyalty silence their concerns until it is too late?