Who rules //
Local Government
Your local council is responsible for the services and facilities in your area. It gets money from local taxes, such as council tax and business rates, and also from the government. Unfortunately, there aren't endless amounts of cash available. Each council obtains a set amount each year. It then has to decide and plan how its money will be spent.
Local needs
Councils need to understand their local population. There wouldn't be much point in building a huge adventure playground in a quiet area where the residents are mainly elderly people. It's important they get their decisions right, otherwise people will be dissatisfied at not getting the services they need.
What does the local council do?
Who do you think makes sure that the rubbish is collected from outside your house? Who provides the local schools and nurseries? Who pays for the fire brigade? Who makes sure that there's police on the streets to help keep the area safe and free from crime? It's the local council that arranges all of these things.
Without it, there'd be no street lighting or cleaning. There'd be no council housing and social services couldn't support people and families in need. In Northern Ireland, housing, education and policing are not the responsibility of local councils but are provided by other government bodies.
Key Points
- Local government receives money from the government to spend on services for the local area.
- Councils raise money through local taxes.
- The council needs to understand its people to make sure it is spending money on the right things.
- Councils are responsible for things such as education, the environment and transport in their area.
Reality Bytes: Checking up on Councils
How do you know how well your council is doing at providing the services the community needs? There's an obvious way – look around and see what's going on. Are the streets clean? Are there places for you to go? Are there libraries, facilities for old people? Go to your town hall and find out what services are provided.
Burnt-out car abandoned in the Hackney district of London
The Audit Commission
To try and help councils perform well, an organisation called the Audit Commission tests how individual councils are doing and compares them to other councils around the country. It's part of the government's plans to help councils do better at helping local people.
It's a bit like an exam, with councils being graded as poor, weak, fair, good and excellent based on how they are doing in providing things such as education, leisure facilities and housing. Why don't you have a look at how your council is doing? If it's not doing well, then find out why and try and do something about it. It's your council after all!
Interesting Fact
- In 2003 the south east (not including London) was the only English region where there were no councils graded as being poor or weak performing, whereas in London 11 councils were considered to be poor or weak performing.
- Glasgow City Council is the largest council in Scotland.
- Council Tax raises around £20 billion each year.
Big Question
- Are local elections more important than the general election?
