The Heseltine report. Pay no heed to the "he's the last wet" debate. Don't let politics get in the way of this brilliant contribution to urban regeneration in the UK. This is, purely and simply, a masterclass from the master. Forty years of serious engagement and practical work are digested and placed into the context of the post-crash world. It is seriously bloody good, albeit a little long at 233 pages. And well worth a read when you have some (a lot of) time. Despite the (slightly selective) career reprise - "bring back all the good things I did" (even down to MINIS, the management information system!) Lord Hezza lays out a clear manifesto for localism. And he's just so right: we've got to stick with the localist strategy, leaving central government to do only the things it can do well, including distributing resources.
He says: "Experience indicated that there are some things only government can do to drive growth in the economy. It must do those relentlessly, and to the very highest standards set around the world. There are many areas where government should stand aside completely. But in the vast majority of cases we will only get the very best results for our economy if government, the business community and local leaders exploit their skills and resources in partnership". (My italics)
He says: "Experience indicated that there are some things only government can do to drive growth in the economy. It must do those relentlessly, and to the very highest standards set around the world. There are many areas where government should stand aside completely. But in the vast majority of cases we will only get the very best results for our economy if government, the business community and local leaders exploit their skills and resources in partnership". (My italics)
It is stirring stuff alright. And a recognition that there is no
simplistic "private good: public bad" demarcation. And (as only he can,
really) he seriously questions the commitment of government. "Government
must now reverse the trend of the past century and unleash the dynamic
potential of our local economies. The government is committed to a local
agenda. Is that policy or slogan? There are encouraging signs to
believe it is policy but so far we have seen only the first steps."
At last! We finally have a clear understanding that places matter. "Besides neutering local leadership, the monopoly of Whitehall is dysfunctional on two counts. First, too many decisions are taken in London without a real understanding of the particular, and differing, circumstances of the communities affected. And second, with responsibilities divided up between policy departments, no one in government is tasked to look holistically at the full range of issues facing a particular area. Whitehall continues to approach these issues from the individual policy priorities of different departments, as if economic issues can be addressed effectively in a placeless vacuum."
Taking the best lessons from the past. Shaping a framework that will work. Sticking to that. And avoiding piecemeal initiatives. Sounds like a recipe for success to me. We love it.
At last! We finally have a clear understanding that places matter. "Besides neutering local leadership, the monopoly of Whitehall is dysfunctional on two counts. First, too many decisions are taken in London without a real understanding of the particular, and differing, circumstances of the communities affected. And second, with responsibilities divided up between policy departments, no one in government is tasked to look holistically at the full range of issues facing a particular area. Whitehall continues to approach these issues from the individual policy priorities of different departments, as if economic issues can be addressed effectively in a placeless vacuum."
Taking the best lessons from the past. Shaping a framework that will work. Sticking to that. And avoiding piecemeal initiatives. Sounds like a recipe for success to me. We love it.
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