“The strength of free peoples residents in the local community. Local institutions are to liberty what primary schools are to science.” Alexis de Tocqueville
Division between executive and legislature is described constitutionally.
The local level government level is represented by Town Hall (law making and tax raising powers), which runs the counties. The Town Hall’s legitimate authority is more limited than Whitehall. Local authorities are “multi- functional”and provide most state services. (protective, environmental, personal, recreational, commercial, promotional and regulatory).
Whitehall is the executive power in the UK government and it can over-rule local government. The Town Hall is also able to seek judicial review. There is quite a steady shifting of responsibilities, money and power from Local to Central Government.
Local governments aim to support the central government, it works for and on behalf of councils including “lobby government, opposition parties and others for changes in policy and legislation” as well as building a “strong and positive reputation for local government with the public.” It is also important for them to “support councils and their partnerships to continuously improve and be innovative.” They provide service at a “national level which support and are complementary to the regional and local support that councils receive.”
In fact local fulfils so many functions that, it is thought that, “In general we suffer from too much government- especially local government.” Norman Tebbit
References:
Winchester University Journalism Course People and Politics lecture week 5
Kingdom J. (2003) Government and Politics in Britain
http://www.local.gov.uk/lgv2/core/page.do?pageId=1
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm
http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/uklocalgov/localtxt.htm
