Managing Members or Members Managing?

Abstract

At some point during any discussion with local government officials at least one person present will either imply — or directly claim — that ‘everything would be much better if it weren’t for the members’. In similar terms, those services now subject to a contractual regime will often see managers express resentment that their service must carry a part of the cost of ‘the democratic process’. These same officials will, however, often assert that the authority of the council to do certain things (to impose a school rationalisation programme) or its right to do things in a certain way (the compulsory purchase of land) is justified because it is mandated by the democratic process of elections.