The Government have released their Open Public Services 2012 document which focuses on decentralising power to ensure that public services are accountable to the people that use them rather than to centralised bureaucracies. Despite global economic woes, public demand for high-quality services has remained intense. This does not mean that […]
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Wycombe Hospital consultation meetings
A crucial public consultation on the future of Wycombe Hospital began on 16 January. It is being run by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Wycombe Hospital. This is our chance to have our say on proposals to change how NHS services are provided in High Wycombe. The exercise runs until 16 April and there […]
Read MoreLocalism Bill becomes law
Last week, the Localism Bill was passed into law. I was glad to support its passage. Through 13 years of New Labour, we witnessed continual moves towards centralised planning and micro-managing of our everyday lives. This new law will see central government interference cut and give power back to citizens, […]
Read MoreSimplifying the planning process: Enabling private sector businesses to invest and sustain growth
NB: this guest post is by Mimi Macejkova, my Parliamentary Intern and the views expressed are her own. In a recent letter sent to MPs, Greg Clark, Minister for Decentralisation and Cities of the Department for Communities and Local Government, introduces a Whitehall draft, which reforms a one thousand-page planning […]
Read MorePower to the People
NB: The author is Tim Hewish, who I am glad to welcome as a local contributor. — Steve Next week, the Conservatives will announce their new policy document on raising public participation in politics. It is true that we live in a representative democracy whereby MPs are elected with the […]
Read MoreDavid Cameron: We can’t go on like this
Via David Cameron: We can’t go on like this: A decade of big government and blunt, bureaucratic control has undermined responsibility and made our social problems worse, not better. We are determined to forge a new direction. We will use the state to help remake society by encouraging people to […]
Read MoreRecommended reading: “Freedom for Public Services”
The latest publication from the Centre for Policy Studies arrived today: “Freedom for Public Services” by William Mason and Jonathan McMahon. Better services at lower cost, and more fulfilling jobs for public servants, are quite possible. As ever, this CPS report is intelligent, brief, clear and insightful. The sheer scale […]
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