This change coalition can deliver for the Valleys
Postcard — By Alex Williams on May 18, 2010 7:00 am
Labour's legacy in the Valleys. Can the Con-Lib coalition do better?
THE Conservative-Liberal coalition in Westminster clearly has many people to convince in Ogmore, a Labour heartland which still weighs rather than counts the votes. Indeed, in the recent General Election, only 30 per cent of the Ogmore electorate voted for the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats combined, compared to a massive 53 per cent for Labour. During the election campaign, Valleys communities were subjected to a systematic and effective campaign of fear from the Labour Party which depicted impending doom if a Conservative government were given the opportunity to wreak savage cuts on our frontline public services and return us to the 1980s. This inevitably helped Labour to cling on to marginal seats like Bridgend and Gower and ultimately helped the Party avoid electoral meltdown in Wales. However, contrary to what the local Labour leaflet might say, there should be nothing to fear from a Conservative-led coalition Government. Indeed, Valleys communities could gain a great deal from a ‘One Nation’ Conservative-led drive to deliver real social justice.
Many communities in Ogmore and further afield were bruised by previous Conservative Governments – to claim otherwise would be absurd. However, and while progress has undoubtedly been made by Labour since 1997, the administrations of Blair and then Brown should also be held to account for the palpable lack of progress during 13 years of unbroken rule. Benjamin Disraeli spoke of “two nations between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy; who are as ignorant of each other’s habits, thoughts, and feelings, as if they were dwellers in different zones, or inhabitants of different planets: the rich and the poor.” Sadly, this is still the case in many areas of Wales – a damning record for a Labour Party which has placed so much emphasis on putting the poorest in society first.
Over the last 13 years, communities in the Garw, Llynfi and Ogmore Valleys have been largely forgotten in favour of regeneration in our larger towns and cities. The gap between the richest and poorest has widened and income inequality is at the highest level since the Second World War. Indeed, our continuing eligibility for Objective 1 European funding illustrates how little progress has been made. It is a shocking legacy that 20% of the people who live in Ogmore do not have any qualifications and that 34% of people are economically inactive. And who could forget that it was a Labour Chancellor, Gordon Brown, who announced the abolition of the 10p starting rate for income tax – a move that hit thousands of low-paid families in the Valleys.
The reason why progress has been limited is simple – the one size fits all, centralising ethos of Labour governments that address the symptoms rather than the causes of deprivation and poverty. In contrast, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are committed to a different way of governing our country – a way which has the potential to deliver real social justice and bring significant benefits to Valleys communities. It won’t be easy and the electorate know this. They know that tough decisions must be taken to address our budget deficit and that we can’t carry on spending as we have done. They know that as a result of the global economic crisis, coupled with the Labour government’s profligate public spending and economic mismanagement in not preparing us for a possible downturn, spending will need to be reined in. Our economic recovery will take time but the way in which we govern can change immediately.
Iain Duncan Smith’s appointment as Secretary of State for Work & Pensions is already a promising start; it shows that social justice will be central to this government’s policy platform. He has gained cross-party plaudits for his work with the Centre for Social Justice, the independent think tank he established in 2004. There are other things which can be expected from a Conservative-Liberal government. Local people will be given unprecedented new power over the future shape of their own communities. The government will provide local people with the means to establish community-based initiatives which will stimulate the regeneration of Valleys areas, enabling people to take back control of their own communities. In short, it will encourage power to be exercised at the very lowest levels of local government to force faster change directed by the very people it will most affect.
Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats recognise that government can not offer all the solutions to our problems. Civil society – people, the voluntary sector, charitable organisations and local communities – need to be empowered to put in place tailor made solutions to their specific problems. There is a lot we can learn from organisations like the Creation Development Trust in Blaengarw and Ecodysgu in Tondu. Empowering organisations like these will allow communities in the Valleys to rebuild themselves into thriving communities. The coalition needs to and will make the necessary changes which will wrest control away from central government agencies and devolve power to local people and local communities.
The more we trust people, the stronger they and society become. government should be closer to the people, not further away. Both Conservative and Liberals believe in more local democracy, instead of more centralisation. Local communities should have more say over their own futures. It is this fundamental change in ethos which will provide the opportunity for Valleys communities to flourish once again. The Conservative-Liberal coalition will present a golden opportunity for conservatism with a social conscience – a government which recognises that it must provide a safety net, below which no one should be allowed to fall, and beyond which people should not be limited in their aspiration to succeed.
Tags: Ogmore, Regeneration, Welsh Conservatives
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19 Comments
Excellent article, …
… a small question, how does Westminster empower local organisations and groups in Wales when the empowerment will require support of the Assembly government to make it work, this is a government which clings to the one size fits all socialist model, will the people of the the Garw, Llynfi and Ogmore Valleys accept a two tier social model that keeps them in poverty, or will they embrace Conservatism as they look at the greener grass East of Offa’s Dyke.
“… a small question, how does Westminster empower local organisations and groups in Wales when the empowerment will require support of the Assembly government to make it work, this is a government which clings to the one size fits all socialist model,”
John this exactly why I do not give the Conservative approach to such things much credence. If you give local governments power, they may choose a creed according to their own local viewpoints. It is why it was Thatcher, not New Labour, who closed down councils as power bases – because Councils were daring to not follow the central Thatcherite creed. All Governments in Westminster promise to push power down, they never do though because they realise that it would undermine their power base and give power to different colour councils.
If Cameron believes in pushing down power closer to the people, then it has to be pushed down to the Assembly, who in turn can push it down further. The process of doing so is of course a noble aim shared by many – but dictating the political philosophy upon pushing it down shows how hollow the Tory offer is.
You cannot on one hand argue that pushing down power is a core philosophy, but only when you push down power to people who agree with you.
I liked this line:
“Many communities in Ogmore and further afield were bruised by previous Conservative Governments”
Bruised? That’s what happens to slightly blemished peaches in Tesco.
In the 1980s and 1990s Valleys communities (as well as many others reliant on mining, steel and manufacturing) were turned upside down by mass unemployment, a flood of heroin and a Thatcherite zeal for finance capital that is only now coming home to roost.
Labour since 1997 also failed to address the structural problems facing these communities, preferring window dressing such as Communities First. In a lot of cases, that meant outside agencies coming in to “empower communities” and doing endless community consultations about where they wanted a play area while screwing us for vast amounts of money.
Couple of things IDS is looking to pull the plug on some initiatives that are actually working and geting people into work,so may be before any plug pulling there needs to be some targeted and not generic one size fits all research and evidence in play.
The major need is jobs and it defeats me why money is wasted often on schemes that cannot deliver ,well paid and sustainable jobs for people.
Its like some voices are destined to reman wilderness ones. Common sense from many many quarters of the private sector have been disregarded by SPADs in Cardiff Bay that are in cosy well paid employment where they have no inkling what enterprise is all about and how it actually combats the damage done by the Tories with their desimation of our economic base and the ineptitude of Labour to redress that.
Have a look in the Garw there is amazing enterprise going on there at Creation which has create jobs and services through a business ethic, but including the community.
The blame culture has got us nowhere , lets have some risk taking and innovation to get the Valleys back on our feet. Who is out there touting for jobs for us ,no WDA and a sanitised Wales International, that needs to be revisited. Oh and while we are at it some less red tape around pump prime would help.
JT: “embrace Conservatism as they look at the greener grass East of Offa’s Dyke”
I want what your smokin’ !.
Marcus Warner: “If Cameron believes in pushing down power closer to the people, then it has to be pushed down to the Assembly, who in turn can push it down further. The process of doing so is of course a noble aim shared by many – but dictating the political philosophy upon pushing it down shows how hollow the Tory offer is. ”
I agree. The Tories don’t have a good track record in Wales, and I wholely expect them to continue this trend. But, I am open minded enough to say that if they do get behind proper devolution to the Assembly, then they may earn my respect.
Their botched reworking of the counties of Wales into the local 22 authorities doesn’t inspire me with much confidence though.
David L,
“I agree. The Tories don’t have a good track record in Wales, and I wholely expect them to continue this trend. But, I am open minded enough to say that if they do get behind proper devolution to the Assembly, then they may earn my respect.”
Indeed. Which was my point. The ConDem does have an opportunity, given it is a coalition, to show how pushing power down and making our politics more plural wont be lost to their own self interest.
A question to provoke discussion rather than necessarily recommend a course of action:
If the new coalition is serious about devolving power to local communities, why does this have to be via the Assembly, as Marcus suggests? Why not simply go straight to local devolution?
Adam
Intriguing question and presumably this could be done in two ways (I’m sure someone else can think of others)
1) By devolving power to local authorities or locally contracted third/private sector bodies on non devolved issues (if you see my point) eg welfare payments, oversight of police
2) if they worded primary legislation sufficiently rigorously they could effectively force the Assembly to bend to their will, even on devolved issues, (which is where most of the devolution would otherwise happen) although they’d probably find it virtually impossible to get the Assembly to provide funding to match.
The second approach smacks of their approach to local government in the 1980s but of course there was no Assembly then and to do it now would provoke something verging on a constitutional crisis & it won’t happen. the first approach might do but the scope of areas in which it could do are quite limited
Thanks for all the comments.
John: I agree – empowering local organisations in Wales will undoubtedly require the support of the Assembly Government to make it work. This may prove difficult as the Labour-Plaid way of governing will clearly be different to that of the Conservative-Liberal coalition in Westminster and tensions may arise. If we see the empowerment of civil society bear fruit in England, I hope the Welsh Assembly Government will quickly follow suit. Whilst I am a strong advocate of further powers for the Welsh Assembly, believing that it needs the constitutional tools to do the job, a made-in-Wales solution for the sake of it is not always necessary – we must learn from best practice elsewhere in the UK and abroad.
Marcus: I thought that this article would provoke a few comments on Thatcher’s legacy. This article is about what the current Conservative-Liberal coalition can bring to local communities not what Thatcher’s Government did over twenty years ago. Thatcher’s and Blair’s Government had thumping majorities. The nature of coalition government will, I hope, bring about a new way of governing meaning that cooperation and compromise will take precedence to erode the traditional power bases and the inherently adversarial and ideological nature of majoritarian Government. David Cameron has already given up some of his political power – fixed term Parliaments and the Office of Budgetary Responsibility. Let’s see how far he goes – from what I have seen so far, I think he is committed to smaller, better Government.
As you say: “The ConDem does have an opportunity, given it is a coalition, to show how pushing power down and making our politics more plural wont be lost to their own self interest.”
Marc: I was 6 when Thatcher left office and she didn’t stand as a candidate in the last General Election. I hope that in the future, Governments of all colours will learn from their mistakes.
Angela: Thanks. I mentioned Creation in my article as an example of what can be done and I hope that other organisations are given the freedom and support to do similar things. I agree – we do need to take risks and make it easier for people who know their communities best to put in place the innovative ideas which they have to solve their local community’s problems, stimulate the local economy and create jobs.
Adam: The Assembly will have to be involved as it is responsible for local government. But going beyond local government, I would like to see every level of Government make it easier for community organisers to put in place individual street-level initiatives which tackle their individual problems. Government – whether it is in Westminster, Cardiff Bay, Bridgend or Pontycymmer should be an enabler for local people to improve the communities which they know best.
Hi Adam,
A fair question. I suppose my view is that given local government is devolved in many aspects, it would take a great leap of faith to merely not consult the assembly. Any such moves would only fly if we had a massive overhaul of the way Britain is governed. You could argue that given the uneven and still changing devolutionary settlement, Westminster by-passing the Assembly is not really acceptable in realpolitik.
Of course, you could have Westminster just handing over swathes of it’s responsibility to local councils. But whether that is right or even respectful of the assembly as an institution would be a pretty hefty debate. I also think the different colours of Government at each side of the m4 make this a non starter.
You could adopt some of the Hannan and Carswell’s ‘The Plan’ (which is not without merit on first glance) regarding say social security. Given that is not devolved, you in theory could give councils the power over benefits etc.
My personal view is that Wales is over governed. We have too many councillors and councils. But it should be the Assembly, not Westminster that undertakes those reforms, particularly given it has the devolved responsibility over things like education and in health.
Like I said, you could directly devolve non-devolved stuff from Westminster to local council level, but it would leave a mish mash of a democracy in Wales.
Alex,
Excuse me while I disagree. My reference to Thatcher was minimal and based on her approach to devolving power. I was born in 1983, while I recognise the problems Thatcher caused, I am not one of those who exhume her legacy every two minutes.
Cameron, much like most PMs in the modern era, won’t hand down power for similar reasons. Look at John Tyler’s carping, no Westminster Government wants natives from different parties having a chance to chart a different course.
The proof will be in the pudding, but announcing the Westminster elections on the same day of the Assembly elections is a pretty tone deaf start.
Alex
the issue with community organising is that it inevitably, every time, throws up issues and campaigns on topics which are embarrasing to government funders. This is true of the Assembly as a national funder (witness the way in which civil servants have neutralised Communities First partnerships trying to engage in campaigning and pushed them towards the much safer ground of service delivery) & even more so for local government because its issues and its services are the ones communtiy organisers are likely to clahs most often with. The only viable commuinity organising body in Wales gets by without state funding and is consistently in financial difficulties.
If they really want to get power at a more devolved level they could start by unpicking the terrifying procurement jungle that is growing like knotweed, which stops local involvement in many ways. It gives power to the jargonistas.
Someone needs to look at a simple method and channel of accountability as well. Safeguards to protect local communities are vital -look at what’s just happened with Cymad.
There are always questions when this gets touted –
What is community -is it the activists and are they representative?
Competition, is it good to set community against community when resources are in play?
What capacity and skills are needed?
Does it just create a different layer if you take LAs out of the scene – development workers and consultants?
The need is for a balance and a real partnership model, but while power and money all sit on one side of the table and that’s just fairyland talk
Alex wrote “Whilst I am a strong advocate of further powers for the Welsh Assembly, believing that it needs the constitutional tools to do the job, a made-in-Wales solution for the sake of it is not always necessary – we must learn from best practice elsewhere in the UK and abroad.”
Well, yeah. The Welsh Government often learns from best practice in the UK (can’t think of a specific example right now) and abroad (foundation phase in schools). The idea that the Welsh Govt goes for ‘made-in-Wales’ solutions for their own sake isn’t true.
The Tories just love valley’s ‘Salt of the earth’ type peasants — they can grind them up and sprinkle them all over the roads when the weather gets frosty!
Believing that the Tories give a xxxxx about Blaengarw is insane. They will look after the merchant bankers as per usaul and the people of Wales will be shafted like in the 80s
Sion Tec – What a remarkably insightful and predictable comment! I find it interesting how you know how the new Conservative-Liberal coalition will affect the Valleys after only a week in office. Shall we just wait and see. As someone who has lived in the Ogmore constituency all my life, I will be the first one campaigning within the Conservative Party for significant regeneration in Valleys communities like Blaengarw.
Adam Higgitt: “If the new coalition is serious about devolving power to local communities, why does this have to be via the Assembly, as Marcus suggests? Why not simply go straight to local devolution?”
a.Jurisdiction for Welsh affairs naturally rests with the Welsh Assembly, which represents the collective democratic will of the people of Wales. The People of Wales are the exclusive constituency of the Welsh Assembly, and none of the various “petty kinglets”, or local authorities, can make that claim.
b.There are too many local authorities which would make delivery and oversight of devolved powers cumbersome and inefficient. These many local authorities have too many competing interests, and would be more concerned with self preservation of their own powers then would chip in on a regional basis. These many local authorities would be too weak to govern themselves efficiency, and would need the oversight of the Assembly. We do need to scale back the number of authorities, in my opinion to four or five “super counties” representing the four primary regions of Wales. And each of these counties should have far more authority devolved to them. We have discussed this before on another article, and also on Betsan Powys blog site. But it should be done under the auspices and oversight of the Welsh Assembly, given their mandate as the people’s representatives.
Peter Black actually had a good article on this “Trust the people: time to devolve from the Assembly” back in March, and prompted some debate back then. ((How does one create in-text links? I seem to fail at that every time!)) This particular article, in my opinion, should also be tagged for constitutional reform too.
http://waleshome.org/2010/03/trust-the-people-time-to-devolve-from-the-assembly/
Made in Wales
Alex Williams: “[a] made-in-Wales solution for the sake of it is not always necessary – we must learn from best practice elsewhere in the UK and abroad.”
While I am a firm believer in taking the best from the near abroad (England and Scotland) and further afield, I think that it is important to tailor solutions for Wales in Wales by the people of Wales. I am particularly fond of the constitutional arrangement in the Netherlands and Denmark. I am very glad to hear that you too wish to see the Assembly have the tools necessary to make this happen.
Alex Williams: “Sion Tec – What a remarkably insightful and predictable comment! I find it interesting how you know how the new Conservative-Liberal coalition will affect the Valleys after only a week in office. Shall we just wait and see. As someone who has lived in the Ogmore constituency all my life, I will be the first one campaigning within the Conservative Party for significant regeneration in Valleys communities like Blaengarw”
Well, really A Williams we only have the reputation of the Conservatives to go on. In the ’78 election they claimed to be a friend of the Welsh language and vowed to establish a Welsh language television channel, only to renege on that immediately following that election. Thanks to the efforts of Plaid’s Gwenfor Evans and his hunger strike, the Conservatives were forced to reverse their reversal. Today, the Welsh language is growing as a result of Evans’ efforts. Methinks the Conservatives vow for greater authority for the Assembly is a Trojan horse.
What was that saying about Gift Horses?
All we have is the reputation of the Conservatives to go by in terms of assessment of what they may do in government. And their reputation for Wales doesn’t lend them much credence. Though, in my opinion neither does Labour either. Labour has a history of Switch and Bait tactics too, and make sweeping promises for Wales during election cycles (St. Athens anyone?) and once in office they tend to hush things up or switch the more rewarding prize for the cheap one.
This is why I believe in Plaid Cymru, which has always placed the interests of the people of Wales ahead of any other interests.
Re: Adam Higgitt: “But with respect, that presupposes that there needs to be an all-Wales dimension to this. What it appears that the coalition is suggesting is that the local matters more than either the UK or the Welsh level? So, why not simply devolve power straight down to the local level?”
I believe there needs to be an all-Wales dimension, as outlined in the B section of my response. I cannot answer why the ConDemed coalition believes that 22 local authorities are the best platform for devolved powers. There are too many competing interests.
I did make my position in Peter Black’s article clearer. If there were four large counties, Gwynedd for North Wales, Deheubarth for West Wales, Glamorgan for South Wales, and Powys for Mid Wales, then I would say that those regional counties would naturally be the best platform for the delivery of governance and services. However, even still there would be an all-Wales oversight dimension and a significant role for the Welsh Assembly. Any reform of Welsh authorities in future should be under the auspices of the Assembly and not Westminster.
“Jurisdiction for Welsh affairs naturally rests with the Welsh Assembly, which represents the collective democratic will of the people of Wales”
But with respect, that presupposes that there needs to be an all-Wales dimension to this. What it appears that the coalition is suggesting is that the local matters more than either the UK or the Welsh level. So, why not simply devolve power straight down to the local level?
But quite right about the Peter Black article. I’ll tag it accordingly.