If the cities were at all like Scotland

摘要

It is a bit of an unanswerable question. Is the apparent cross-party consensus on regionalism and localism a sign that something will happen, or is it a positive disadvantage? I can think of examples that could prove the point both ways. Sometimes it is the fierceness of single-minded controversy that forces legislation through. Sometimes consensus just takes issues off the mainstream political agenda. On the other hand, I remember when the Liberals took control of Tower Hamlets Council in 1986 with a radical programme of devolution, dismissing their senior officers by bike messenger in the middle of the night after the first full meeting of the council. But, as a result of the failure to build consensus, the reforms didn't last. They were wound up by the next Labour administration.