One angry teacher, many disfunctional relationships

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On the doors tonight I met a very angry teacher, angry not just with the local SNP/Libdem administration for their ineptitude and lack of leadership, (“lightweights unable to make decisions” was his description), but at the Concordat which he said has destroyed the relationship between central and Local Government rather than improve it.

I agree with him.  The Concordat has brought Local Government significant additional responsibilities but serious reductions in cash  Because the Concordat was tied into single outcome agreements, in that they were how the Concordat was “proven” to be a reality, and they were in turn tied into the Council Tax Freeze, (i.e. any Local Authority that  didn’t sign one didn’t get the little cash that was on offer to freeze the Council Tax), this was not  a less centralised relationship but one both driven by central control and destroyed buy a lack of cash to deliver on what was insisted upon to get agreement.

The difference Scottish Labour will make is that our Council Tax freeze will be properly funded, avoiding back door rises in other services to cover and will not be so centralised as to render Local Government virtually unable to act on its democratic mandates and delivery its services in a way that met its local needs.

The relationship between central and local Government needs to be built on parity of esteem, trust and real devolution of power beyond Holyrood and even beyond Council Chambers so we make the right decisions not just for but with our communities . That won’t happen overnight but it’s a journey that needs to begin now or, as the angry teacher understood, we will all struggle to cope in what are tough time ahead.