Scottish Government Yearbook 1988 ''GOING LOCAL TO SURVIVE"

Decentralisation, or "going local " as it is sometimes known is being seen in many quarters as the answer to the seemingly faceless bureaucracy and inefficiency that so often characterises local government. This article examines the rapid rise of the going-local initiatives which have become increasingly popular in many parts of England, and looks at the implications for Scottish local government. We do this by looking at the inability of local government to deliver a sufficiently high standard of service, with adequate accountability to local people, and importantly the steps which have been taken by some authorities to correct this. We also touch-albeit very briefly- on the potential of decentralisation as a vehicle for social and political change. Finally, we examine a case study; Edinburgh District Council's detailed strategy for going local. What's wrong with local government? Most politicians of all parties would agree that there is a problem. They would accept that local authorities tend to be too remote and inflexible, a bureaucracy which provides services to the public which are often less than satisfactory. Politicians whilst agreeing that a problem exists, do of course, fundamentally disagree when it comes to problem-solving. Broadly speaking their responses can be categorised as follows: Cut it? This school of thought believes that the "frontiers of the state "-including the local state- should be rolled back. Privatisation of many local authority services would provide the freedom for ratepayers to spend their money as they like. The rationale implied here thus sti·esses not only ideological commitment, but also an economic one, in that inefficient local authority services should be supplanted by the private sector operating within a free market according to the natural laws of profit. (This view, is of course, generally accepted as current Government policy). Improve it? This school is personifed by some "traditional " Labour Councils. They accept the need to improve services, but argue that this can best be achieved within the traditional town hall framework. All that is required is increased resources and some careful political management. This school sees nothin