Devolve Whitehall power to boroughs, says manifesto
London Councils have issued a manifesto demanding the devolution of key responsibilities to local government level.
Among the proposals in the Manifesto for Londoners are calls for local councils to take on responsibility for providing healthcare and welfare services.
Devolving more powers from Whitehall and quangos to London boroughs would give residents more choice and more of a say over issues including policing neighbourhoods, managing public space and reducing carbon emissions and fuel bills, it says.
According to research commissioned by London Councils, such a devolution of powers could also generate cost savings.
The proposals include:
• Integrating non-acute care budgets of Primary Care Trusts with all other local care services
• Devolving Job Centre Plus programmes and other back-to-work schemes to boroughs
• Scrapping the housing revenue account system and allowing boroughs to design a London model for managing existing debt and borrowing against their assets to invest more in improving housing stock
• Responsibility for neighbourhood policing budgets passed to boroughs
• Devolving responsibility and funding for retrofitting homes to boroughs working with the mayor and allow them to keep a share of efficiency savings they deliver.
The manifesto also calls for the dismantling of the Government Office for London and the abolition of the comprehensive area assessment in London, with all savings returned to the Treasury.
London Councils commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) to map public expenditure in the capital.
Findings revealed £73.6bn of public money was spent in 2008/09 but less than half was directed through bodies directly accountable to Londoners such as the capital's boroughs and the Greater London Authority.
The research suggested devolution and giving communities more choice could generate savings of up to 15%.
London Councils chair Cllr Merrick Cockell said the recession had left ‘a new environment’ requiring ‘radical and brave steps’.
‘Local government has long called for devolution but our proposals in this manifesto are by far the most comprehensive, detailed and ambitious,’ he said.
‘We are now throwing down the gauntlet to any new government to work with us to drive forward this pioneering vision.’
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