Member

I am sometimes asked what my view is of local government in this country. I believe that we should try it. I am grateful to Professor Tony Travers of the London School of Economics for pointing out to me that there are about 18,000 councillors in the UK—a figure soon to be reduced significantly—while in France there are 36,000 councils or communes. The UK is often cited as the most centralised government in the western world, notwithstanding the post-1999 constitutional settlements.