This is really interesting analysis and it gets at something under-discussed nationally. Fragmentation creates a governability problem, not just a party-political one. A system designed around stable two-party control will now, most likely, have to operate through coalitions, volatility and weak mandates at almost every level simultaneously. Will be important to see how the NOC councils perform over the next two years as a small-scale representation of what government could look like after a General Election.
Any evidence for relative performance of NOC councils? I suspect there is little difference. Which comes back to systemic problems and poverty of ideas. Take just one issue - Adult social care - the biggest financial challenge facing local government - completely overshadowed during the elections. Local government continue to outsource very poor services at great expense while keeping their heads in the sand. The fragmentation of our politics is like laboratory rats running around the perimeter of a controlled psychological experiment. Liberal democracy can’t think itself out of the box. Labour is particularly baffled.
Anecdotal. Let me pose an alternative question as a thought exercise that might help us draw a conclusion: can you identify a well performing authority under NOC? I can’t.
I’d add two things. I think It depends what kind of NOC. In some cases it will now be more than two parties: that is a product of our fragmentation. In other cases, it will be a ‘rainbow coalition’ of politicians who agree on very little.
Second point. This makes good decision-making harder. And therefore does speak to your point on e.g. adult social care.
There are plenty of underperforming councils that have overall control. There is either evidence to prove whether being NOC makes a difference to delivery or not, factoring for baseline conditions. (Surely there are enought metrics). Otherwise its just conjecture. And given how commonplace NOC is in other countries the international evidence is relevant. On the issue of adult care. I don't think any party can address this at the local level. Devolution, integrated funding and services, and a much more localised heathcare system aligned to health populations would be a start. Beyond that the state has to start providing affordable and EQUITABLE care - and stop farming it out to carehome owners sunning themselves on yachts. At present the local state is complicit in a system that deprives elderly people of their liberty (DoLs) and seizes their assets to pay for private care. That is just one, albeit important, policy where ALL government is failing.
This is really interesting analysis and it gets at something under-discussed nationally. Fragmentation creates a governability problem, not just a party-political one. A system designed around stable two-party control will now, most likely, have to operate through coalitions, volatility and weak mandates at almost every level simultaneously. Will be important to see how the NOC councils perform over the next two years as a small-scale representation of what government could look like after a General Election.
Thanks Dara. It’s on my to-do-list to do some analysis on the NOCs.
Any evidence for relative performance of NOC councils? I suspect there is little difference. Which comes back to systemic problems and poverty of ideas. Take just one issue - Adult social care - the biggest financial challenge facing local government - completely overshadowed during the elections. Local government continue to outsource very poor services at great expense while keeping their heads in the sand. The fragmentation of our politics is like laboratory rats running around the perimeter of a controlled psychological experiment. Liberal democracy can’t think itself out of the box. Labour is particularly baffled.
Anecdotal. Let me pose an alternative question as a thought exercise that might help us draw a conclusion: can you identify a well performing authority under NOC? I can’t.
I’d add two things. I think It depends what kind of NOC. In some cases it will now be more than two parties: that is a product of our fragmentation. In other cases, it will be a ‘rainbow coalition’ of politicians who agree on very little.
Second point. This makes good decision-making harder. And therefore does speak to your point on e.g. adult social care.
There are plenty of underperforming councils that have overall control. There is either evidence to prove whether being NOC makes a difference to delivery or not, factoring for baseline conditions. (Surely there are enought metrics). Otherwise its just conjecture. And given how commonplace NOC is in other countries the international evidence is relevant. On the issue of adult care. I don't think any party can address this at the local level. Devolution, integrated funding and services, and a much more localised heathcare system aligned to health populations would be a start. Beyond that the state has to start providing affordable and EQUITABLE care - and stop farming it out to carehome owners sunning themselves on yachts. At present the local state is complicit in a system that deprives elderly people of their liberty (DoLs) and seizes their assets to pay for private care. That is just one, albeit important, policy where ALL government is failing.