Let's admit it, many Tory councils aren't good enough

Tim Montgomerie

As the video above, from Sky, makes clear some Tory councils are now complaining about the front-loaded cuts being imposed by Eric Pickles. Some will be doing this in order to curry favour with local voters. They'll now be able to tell their voters that "we didn't take these cuts without complaint". Let me add something that Eric Pickles can't say. Although the best Tory councils are brilliant, many Tory councils are ordinary and some are completely in the hands of officers. Councils of all colours have failed to innovate during the good years. They've paid themselves and their officers too much money. They didn't prepare for the rainy day. Sadly there aren't enough Hammersmith & Fulhams, Traffords or Windsor and Maidenheads. The transparency revolution that Eric Pickles and Greg Clark are introducing will, I'm afraid, expose under-achieving Tory councils as well as Labour and Liberal Democrat councils. That may not be in the Conservative Party's short-term interests but it'll, ultimately, be very good for council taxpayers and value for money.