Local Government Reform

Im all in favour, aside form the pride aspect, I think it'll make our votes for Constiuent leaders all the more important. Local "Governments" can make local decisions on what the local community needs most. Take for example the Metrolink maintenence system in Manchester, this was halted by Downing Street when it is clearly needed to rejuvenate an aging track that has plagued passenger and neighbours to faulty sdections.

This is a subject somewhat dear to my heart, as I would like to see the old Borough (burgh in Scotland) and County Councils restored to their former glory and duties. The tasks of the borough councils were as follows:

Administering public services (education, health etc)
rates - water, council, business etc
town planning
maintainence of buildings and water pipelines
Sewage
Housing

The responsibilities of the County Councils were as follows
Country planning (and a degree of involvement in town planning)
Maintainence and building of roads
Public Health in the Countryside
Maintainence of railways and building of bridges
Water supply
Drainage
Countryside sewage
Countryside rates
Administration of Education

So how about it then?

Im all in favour, aside form the pride aspect, I think it'll make our votes for Constiuent leaders all the more important. Local "Governments" can make local decisions on what the local community needs most. Take for example the Metrolink maintenence system in Manchester, this was halted by Downing Street when it is clearly needed to rejuvenate an aging track that has plagued passenger and neighbours to faulty sdections.

yeehah! Nice one Lord Wad. Sounds good to me.

What do parish councils do?

I'd go a lot further than that personally. I'd like to see local authorities acting far more autonimously from central government; raising taxes, passing county ordinances, paying for and training their own police forces/public works etc,.......

I just want to see Newcastle back in Northumberland and Sunderland back down in County Durham.

I think that parish councils collected the rates and generally reported to the County Council on anything of concern, also supervising repairs and taking census information. Generally a community council, but with teeth.