Local leadership, local choice

Foreword by the Deputy Prime Minister

What councils do and how they do it is crucial to the quality of life in Britain. That is why we have put our agenda to modernise local government at the heart of our plans to modernise Britain.

People should have a real choice about how they are governed locally. The choices available to them should all be designed to give communities the leadership they need, and to ensure high standards of conduct throughout local government.

So, central to our modernising agenda is giving people a real say about how their council can modernise the way it works. Where people want to have a directly elected mayor to lead their community, they should have the choice. Everywhere there should be forms of local governance which listen to the voice of local people and give strong leadership for communities, have powerful roles for all councillors, and ensure high standards throughout local government.

We want councils now to ask their local communities about how they want to be governed. We want to see lively local debate and discussion. Some councils have already begun to consult their local people on these issues. Those that have not should start now.

Our aim with this paper is to stimulate a local debate between councils and their communities about how in the future their area should be led. We will be introducing, when Parliamentary time allows, legislation so that new forms of local governance, including directly elected mayors, can be adopted. We are including with this paper a draft of this legislation. This is an opportunity for you to let us have comments on that legislation.

John Prescott