Future options in the balance

摘要

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, as the old adage goes. However, central and local government have been trying to fix the balance of power between them for as long as anyone can remember - alongside local government funding through business rates and council tax.And the question of the central local relationship seems all the more important now.Since 1997, local government has worked hard to convince an initially-sceptical Labour Government that it could be trusted to deliver on key policy commitments, and did know what was best for communities.Switching to a new government - as seems likely -is a risky business. Sure enough, the rhetoric of the Conservatives is to decentralise and devolve - but will the reality come true when the party starts to take control in Whitehall?