One of the most able and articulate members of the Shadow Cabinet, Grant Shapps has been an enthusiastic proponent of localism. His radical proposals for housing policies, giving local people the final say on how and where new houses should be built, provide a practical example of how power can and should be transferred out of Whitehall and into local communities. But today Grant finds himself arguing passionately against localism, dismayed by the results of his own research showing how different NHS trusts are making different decisions about eligibility for IVF. As a spokesman for one PCT puts it "We commission services within allocated funds based on priorities set to meet the needs of our local population." In other words, localism in action.
As every politician knows, attaching the words "postcode lottery" to a news story will garner far more media coverage than "victory for local decision making." Has Grant just illustrated the limitations of Tory localism?
