Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days:
There has been two bits of news on police this week. Firstly, the good news that the elections for Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales will be delayed until November 2012 instead of being held on the same day as next year’s local elections. Secondly, in Scotland there has been opposition from local authorities to proposals by the SNP government to merge all of the police forces in to one force. Something which the Scottish Lib Dems have been campaigning against for some time.
This week, the first 24 free schools opened in various places around the country, but there was controversy within the coalition when Nick Clegg demanded that whilst they should have flexibility in their curriculum and how they are run they shouldn’t be allowed to make a profit. On the opposite of the argument saying that free schools would have to make a profit was fellow Lib Dem Phil Willis.
On Lib Dem Voice, there was a discussion about the ‘general power of competence’ that local authorities will receive under the Localism Bill and whether these will be used effectively enough.
Lib Dem Voice’s Local Election Channel praises Conservative MP Andrew Selous for tackling Eric Pickles on the amount of money that council chief executive’s pocket for being the local returning officer.
There’s a useful article myth-busting the current proposals to change the planning process on Conservative Home. For a bit of balance there was an article in the Daily Telegraph by National Trust Director-General Fiona Reynolds criticising the changes.
Around the country:
Cornwall Council is to tighten up on people who have second homes who register to vote.
In Southwark, the local Lib Dems block a plan by the Labour council to build a £120,000 roof terrace at their council offices.
Within the Liberal Democrats the big news of the week was the announcement that Chief Executive Chris Fox is to step down from his job before the end of the year.