CNJ COMMENT - Now our Town Hall is governing by press release

Published: 9 September, 2010

IF you want to sum up New Labour, you could describe it as “Government through the media!”

Whenever, Tony Blair or his key ministers wanted to introduce a new sweeping measure, they would  often first announce it at a press conference. Astonishingly, both sets of leadership at Camden and Islington have gone one step further.

They have circumvented the whole process by simply announcing one of the most momentous changes in the recent history of both boroughs – with a press release!

At least, both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown made their announcements in front of the TV cameras and reporters.

An announcement at a press conference meant the minister ran the risk of facing the scrutiny of reporters.

But here life is different.

Just a press release sent to the local papers yesterday afternoon spelled out the momentous proposal – that from early next year when the chief executive of Islington John Foster retires, both boroughs will be man­aged by one chief executive .

He or she will be responsible for 12,000 staff and boroughs with a population of nearly 400,000.

Not all that long ago, a proposal of this importance would have first gone, with a recommendation, before an executive committee, then for discussion by our elected representatives.

Yesterday’s proposal will, of course, go before both councils, but, the press release will give it the weight of a fait accompli.

Tony Blair’s style of “sofa government”, effectively, poisoned the well of good government practice but what lies behind this move to short circuit good local governance?

Cynics may well believe that the merger of the two posts, and probably the merger of both chief executive departments, is the first step in the long march of the merger of other departments.

Using the economies of scale that governs the management of large companies, this could mean the loss of hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs. Savings of tens of millions of pounds could be thereby effected.

Faced with swingeing cuts by the Coalition government next month – an administration can either carry them out or mount a resistance through a public campaign.

Political antennae seem to tell Labour in the two boroughs that a re-run of the (failed) 1980s’ resistance to Thatcherism is not going to happen. Therefore, better to offset the cuts and protect services by slashing overheads.

This will lead to a scramble by middle-and-senior grade managers to protect their jobs.  No doubt, some will try and deflect the cuts onto the front-line staff.

The public may look on with indifference at this free-for-all at the Town Hall. But the storm will be felt – not, perhaps, next year or the year after, but in 2013.

There will be no place to hide.