Friday, October 16, 2020

Research shows bigger is not better in local government

Yesterday I wrote:

I believe local government should be local and that the idea that centralisation always leads to greater efficiency and lower costs is no more true today than it was in the 1970s when it was Labour's creed.

And then I discovered an expert report that says much the same thing. I am always happy to cite research when it supports my opinions.

That report is Bigger is not better: the evidenced case for keeping 'local' government. It's written by Colin Copus, Steve Leach, and Alistair Jones from De Monfort University and published by the District Councils' Network.

It assesses more than 300 pieces of research from around the world and is concludes that the size of councils does not make a difference to the quality or efficiency of services.

A second finding is that larger councils lead to falling public trust, falling engagement and a reduced sense of belonging to your local area and council.

No comments: