End lobbying

However, its crackdown on town halls and quangos' use of public money to pay for lobbyists will be one which commands support.

It should go without saying that local councils are there to provide services for the taxpayers who fund them.

Diverting funds from this in order to hire professional help to lobby central Government is a questionable use of public money – especially at a time when purse strings at all levels are being tightened.

Quangos' use of lobbyists has the potential to be even more damaging as it creates a situation where an unelected agency can spend taxpayers' money persuading policy-makers in central Government of its own importance.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, a former council leader himself, is right when he says this practice weakens democracy.

Town hall chiefs have insisted that local authorities would only use public affairs agencies to win Government support for major projects.

Surely if a council's leadership wants to effect a change in Government policy or secure funding for their area then they should simply make their case as elected politicians rather than relying on lobbyists.

The new measures being announced should make decision-making more affordable, more accountable and end the wasteful culture of local government spending money simply in order to talk to Whitehall.