Five Foundations of Real Localism

Article

On the eve of the publication of the Localism Bill, this short paper provides five key principles - five foundations - against which the anticipated raft of localist policy measures can be assessed.

As a political slogan, 'localism' would appear to carry weight, but as a policy construct it becomes much harder to articulate and implement. Unless measures within the Bill address each of these foundations in a meaningful and effective manner, any serious attempt to decentralise England is likely to be seriously flawed.

Those five foundations are:

- localism must be effective and efficient

- localism must be properly funded

- localism must sit at the heart of a drive for social justice

- greater devolution of power and responsibility to the local level must be accompanied by a step-change in the transparency and accountability of local decision-making

- the new drive for localism should be framed within a constitutional settlement between central and local government.

Related items

  1. Getting the child poverty strategy we need: A co-produced agenda for change

    The UK government has a time-limited opportunity to make a decisive difference to child poverty in its upcoming strategy. 

  2. Not yet settled? Assessing the government’s new policy on indefinite leave to remain

    This month’s white paper represented the most significant shake-up in immigration policy since Brexit.

  3. Negotiating the future of work: Legislating to protect workers from surveillance

    New technologies are radically transforming worker surveillance. Meaningful worker voice is needed over surveillance practices to address the risks they pose to worker's rights and wellbeing.