The transition from ODPM to Department of Communities and Local Government has (apart from the questions about Ruth Kelly’s stance on homosexuality) gone quite smoothly. Rather too smoothly for some, and there is suggestion in Westminster that this transition might have already been in the pipeline before the local election results, in fact even before Tracy Temple hit the headlines.
There are two things that advocates of this view point to:
1) At a Sustainable Communities bash on Tuesday morning (only one full working day since the reshuffle) a new strategy document was launched not with ODPM printed on the cover, but already headed DCLG. They could have cancelled the launch, or they could have worked over the weekend and overnight to get it ready, but it all seemed too prepared for some attendees to believe that to be the case.
2) Why did the Tracey Temple story break in the run-up to the local elections? It looks like it was aimed with perfect timing to scupper Labour’s chances, but if so why didn’t she spill the means before the general election last year when it could have had a bigger impact and got her more money?
But what if the Temple revelations didn’t lead to Prescott’s demotion - what if it was the other way around? Tracey Temple would surely have heard any rumours of changes within the Department, and if she thought Prescott was for the chop, the value of selling out to the newspapers would drop considerably. Was she rushed into revealing all before her scoop became worthless?
We all love a good conspiracy theory. Tenuous, but not beyond the realms of possibility. It doesn’t explain why Blair decided to cut Prescott down to size at this point in time however.
(I’m worried that I’ve become rather obsessed with John Prescott)
redtamarin[at]gmail.com
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You think the Local Gov green paper will be delayed at all RT?
Dr. Freling said this on May 14th, 2006 at 9:49 am
I think undoubtedly the reforms to local government will be slowed somewhat without Miliband at the healm.
1) The Green Paper was Miliband’s primary focus at the moment. Whilst he was also working on Sustainable Communities and Housing, Prescott did some of the legwork in those areas. Ruth Kelly not only has to cover all three of those, but also draft a whole strategy for the Equalities agenda the Department has inherited.
2) Miliband is a smooth operator, and the challenge of finding the consensus necessary on local government was something I think he was going to be good at. Whilst Ruth Kelly has a lot of experience recently with negotiations on the Education Bill, there will be some still angry about that who won’t be going out of their way to make the job easier this time.
I don’t think it will be delayed massively. It’s still got to make an appearance in the next two months I reckon - if it doesn’t then questions will be asked.
Red Tamarin said this on May 14th, 2006 at 10:54 am
Yes, be worried.
Dave said this on May 15th, 2006 at 10:27 am