Peter Facey (Lib-Dem Conf, Brighton, UnlockDemocracy): Well that strange British tradition of party activists gathering at seaside towns to put the world to rights is well underway. This week its Brighton and the Lib Dems. The media is reporting that the Lib Dems are in melt down and that Ming is now wearing open neck shirts.
What has not been reported is that yesterday the Lib Dems passed a policy paper on the future of local and regional government in England. It called for local councils, many of which they control and where they have an influential role in the UK, to raise 75% of their income themselves rather than the paltry 25% at present that makes them so dependent on central government. It also called for local authorities to have the right to call down more powers, with the presumption being that local councils can have any powers they request unless there is a very good reason not to. And though they supported a single tier local government, unlike the government they have said that it would have to be subject to local referendums.
They also endorsed directly elected regional assemblies and at the same time called for a review of regional boundaries as it is clear that some regions like the South East do not represent any real communities of interest or generate any popular identity. Is their a potential alliance of interests here between the Lib Dems and the Conservatives new localism agenda?
