I was invited to speak at the National Planning Forum at the Local Government Association yesterday on the theme "What next for planning?". Honestly! It was another of those "What would I know?" moments. I shouldn't really have accepted the invitation, but I do like the cerebral planning mob, and my ego got the better of me (flattery will get you anywhere, as you well know, Mike Hayes).
Local government finance? There be dragons! Apparently, our esteemed secretary of state Mr Pickles had been hoping to make a firm announcement on the local government finance review in his speech at the New Local Government Network think-tank's conference yesterday. But by the start of this week it was publicly clear there was major disarray in the camp. Good job the secretary of state's team had had the good sense to not set a firm deadline, although sources still describe the review as "imminent" (another one of those great civil service words!).
There are rumours that nice Mr Clegg and... er... Mr Pickles hold different views over the scope of the finance review (well, I never!). This spat threatens to put a bit of a spanner in the works, being as it forms a key plank of the coalition government's long-term plan to overhaul local government and to reduce councils' heavy reliance on central government funding.
A leaked letter from Mr Clegg to Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne reveals that the deputy prime minister wants a root-and-branch review of local tax-raising powers - including the consideration of American-style local sales and fuel taxes, reformed parking levies and wider borrowing powers - to help councils become increasingly self-sufficient (any warning bells sounding yet?).
But, true to form, Mr Pickles takes a more traditional view. Following years of sharp rises in council tax, it is understood that Mr Pickles (and Mr Osborne) are hell bent on limiting the number of new taxes (warning bells getting any louder?) and will stick to their guns in kick-starting a standard finance review that is more narrow in scope. For this, read, "never mind, nice Mr Clegg, Mr Pickles will be fighting hard for the answer he thought of in the first place" (and, moreover, he has the support of Mr Osborne).
