Whatever the outcome tomorrow, the new government is going to have some tough decisions to make. Topping any list of priorities will be economic growth, looking after the ageing population, reducing welfare spending, building more homes and fiscal responsibility.
But these concerns are not exclusive to the government at Westminster. In fact, with devolution increasingly on the agenda, they are more and more local government issues – and that’s why council elections should be taken as seriously as the general election.
Every council in the country has to consider these issues, often making tough decisions, on a daily basis. Some of the priorities include finding new ways to drive economic growth in towns, looking after elderly friends and family, finding ways to deliver desperately needed homes and providing the essential everyday services that residents depend on, like bin collections and filling in potholes.
Despite the challenges of the past five years, councils have created more than 300,000 school places. Every year two million potholes are repaired, many thousands of old people are cared for and 183,400 miles of local roads are maintained.
Voting for local councillors gives people an opportunity to have a say about how councils spend money and run services in the community, whether caring for vulnerable neighbours, deciding on bus services or working out how often roads are resurfaced. Different politicians often have different priorities and voting can provide an indication of the services that matter to local communities.
On May 7, elections will take place in 49 unitary authorities, 36 metropolitan areas and 194 non-metropolitan areas – a total of 279 councils. There are a number of mayoral contests and most parishes are holding elections. As a result of the number of contests taking place, as well as choosing an MP, four in five towns and cities will also be voting in local councillors.
The worry is that people may decide not to vote because they feel disengaged, because too many decisions are still made in Whitehall. To address this, it is vital that more decisions are made at a local level and more power devolved to councils.
Polling in November 2014 by ComRes found that just a third of 18- to 24-year-olds say they are certain to vote. However, in a separate poll, almost two-thirds said a manifesto commitment to shift power and funding for public services from Westminster to their local community would be important in enticing them out to the ballot box.
Four in five people say they want local areas to have more decision-making powers on issues such as tax, education and policing. By contrast, fewer than one in five people think Whitehall represents them.
This shows a growing appetite within communities for people to have a greater say in the places where they live and work – and local government can provide the momentum needed to reinvigorate democracy.
The future of local government will not be clear until a new government is formed but there is broad agreement between the main parties on exploring devolution. Hopefully more powers, such as allowing business rates to be set locally and giving councils a leading role in delivering health and care services, will be handed down as a result.
The Local Government Association’s fully-costed Investing in our nation’s future publication sets out what councils can deliver for government, if they’re given the right tools. This includes building 500,000 new homes, halving the number of unemployed young people, reducing long-term unemployment by a third and supporting more people to live independently at home. The campaign outlines a raft of measures which, if implemented, would save the public purse £11bn, tackle the country’s housing crisis, ensure every child has a place at a good school, address the pothole backlog and improve the nation’s health.
Anyone who can vote for their councillors, as well as their MP, tomorrow should remember the candidates they choose will be making vital decisions about streets, parks and the local economy. Councils are privileged to be able to do this – and if they are given the powers, they can achieve even more.
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