by René Lavanchy
Labour councillors must gain an independent voice in the Labour Party, according to all three candidates to lead the Labour Group in the Local Government Association as campaigning began last week.
And one candidate warned that Labour – who control less than 14 per cent as many councils as in 1997 – would let the BNP in “through the back door” if the Labour group was not strengthened.
The group has already challenged the Labour Party with a manifesto calling for more progressive council tax banding and the abolition of Whitehall’s capping powers.
Two council leaders and one opposition leader are competing to replace Sir Jeremy Beecham, who announced last year that he will step down from the group in July.
Peter Box, leader of Wakefield council, said: “The Labour group needs to be an effective campaigning organisation and it isn’t. A lot of Labour leaders in opposition feel disenfranchised. It’s been a collective failure of the LGA Labour group.”
Salford council leader John Merry commented: “Labour groups are telling me they want leadership which doesn’t just work through the LGA. If you look back at the history of the Labour Party, all the big ideas have tended to come from local government”, while Dudley Labour group leader David Sparks said that “We need to ensure that we have a much bigger say in the development of policy than in the past. If we are not active we will let the BNP in by the back door.”
He defended his record as a chair of several LGA bodies, saying that the majority had always vetoed his plans to decentralise the body’s decision making powers.
The winner will be announced on 27 February.
