Letter from Westminster
February 10, 2008 12:00 AM
Letter from Westminster and Bristol, 10th February 2008
Regional issues were to the fore this week. Britain has a great democratic imbalance. Too much political power is concentrated in Westminster. Local government is weak, both in powers and finances. This makes us quite unlike our European neighbours or for that matter, North America. As an MP I'd actually like to see central government give away power to local communities. Bristol could then be on an equal footing with our twin cities of Bordeaux and Hanover.
The regional dimension of English government is even weaker. Some strategic decisions are best taken at a regional level. But in the South West of England we have a region that has no common identity, stretching all the way from west Cornwall up to the Cotswolds and down to Bournemouth. The government (London, that is) has appointed numerous South West boards to make regional decisions, but they are not accountable to elected local politicians.
Two such "quangos" have recently made the news in Bristol. Just before Christmas the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA, pronounced "swerdah" in quangoland) announced in a press release that it had cancelled plans for Bristol's arena. It was South West Arts that threatened the future of the Bristol Old Vic.
In Parliament this week we discussed in a secondary legislation committee the regulations (a "statutory instrument") for 12 new regional boards of the Learning & Skills Council. This is the quango that sets policy and distributes funds for all post 16 education and training, unless it is in a university. I made the point this would be yet another board, with at most 16 members for a huge region that was answerable only to a cabinet minister. When Gordon Brown became PM in July last year he promised
greater Parliamentary scrutiny of regional government. The regional assemblies (groups of councillors) would be set aside and replaced by Regional Select Committees of the House of Commons. We are still waiting for action, eight months later...
One issue that is of regional and national significance is the expansion of airports. I have consistently opposed the proposed expansion of Bristol Airport. I also support my London colleagues in their opposition to a third runway at Heathrow. This week regional MPs gathered to hear a briefing from Friends of the Earth and other anti airport campaigners.
Nick Clegg rounded off a successful run of PMQs performances with questions to Gordon Brown about Britain becoming a surveillance state. The Lib Dems remain opposed to identity cards and the national database. We are concerned about continued erosion of civil liberties, some of it without proper authority and scrutiny, such as the fingerprinting of children by schools. Brown twice gave a trite response that CCTV is useful for fighting crime. Europe continued to dominate Parliamentary time with the detailed scrutiny of the Reform Treaty. Considering that the newspapers think this is a major issue, demanding a referendum, why has there been so little reporting of the discussions? The Lib Dems will continue to press for a Parliamentary vote on a referendum on the fundamental issue of whether Britain should remain a member of the EU. The Parliamentary establishments are still blocking all of our procedural devices.
On the education front this week I attended receptions hosted by Barnardo's (and heard about their work to bring disaffected teenagers back on the educational track), the National Autistic Society (focusing on adults) and Oxford University (their work to widen participation.)
In Bristol I visited two very different educational establishments. First, to the Bristol Construction Skills Academy at Filton College. They were launching a new service for homeowners, "Home Jigsaw" which will enable people to match up plumbing, electrical and other home improvement works contractors.
Then to Clifton College. I've spoken to their sixth form before but this time went round the school site and attended a weekly dorm meeting. Quite a contrast from my own south Wales comprehensive school experience!
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