Benn urges party to think locally

The Shadow Communities Secretary and Leeds Central MP used his keynote speech on the final day of the Labour Party conference to laud the work of Labour-led councils in cities such as his own in trying to mitigate the impact of Government spending cuts.

Listing council-led initiatives such as apprenticeships schemes in Leeds, bursaries offered to students in Newcastle, and commitments from several Labour authorities to pay their staff a so-called “living wage”, Mr Benn said the party should “be proud” of the way it is supporting people locally during the coalition’s austerity drive. But he also said the success of such schemes showed why the party has to change its old top-down approach.

“Everything we’ve just heard about is a testament to local ideas; local commitment; local action,” Mr Benn said.

His words echoed a call for greater ‘localism’ from one of Labour’s most senior civic figures, Sir Albert Bore, the leader of Birmingham City Council, who told a fringe meeting at the party conference earlier this week that the previous Labour government “disappointed” in the way it dealt with local authorities.

By contrast, the coalition has handed a raft of powers to 
core cities and city regions through its “City Deal” packages; passed new laws helping communities to call referendums, and will next month introduce directly-elected police chiefs across England and Wales.

Mr Benn said such powers must be extended and can be wielded by Labour figures locally to make a real difference to communities – even while the party remains in opposition.

“There’s nothing to fear and there’s everything to gain,” he said. “Our job is to give people locally the tools they need to do their job. Decisions taken 
closer to the people, by the people.”

His speech also highlighted a wider theme of the Labour 
conference – that the party 
increasingly sees itself as an 
active Opposition which can effect real change in the country even before the next election.

On Saturday Labour leader Ed Miliband launched a “youth jobs taskforce” that will see Labour MPs and council leaders join forces with academics and senior business figures to try to tackle youth unemployment in key cities including Leeds and Sheffield.

Mr Benn used his conference platform to highlight the work on apprenticeships already being done in Leeds, where the council’s City Deal has helped enable the launch of an “apprenticeships agency” next month.

“In my city, Leeds, council leader Keith Wakefield has brought together the City College, Jobcentre Plus and local employers to help 600 young people get their careers started,” Mr Benn said. “By offering them what they really want – advice, training and, most of all, work experience.

“And in November they’ll be launching the Leeds Apprenticeship Agency.

“Why? Because the council listened to small businesses who said: we want to take on apprentices, but we’re worried about employment liabilities and all the administration.

“So the council said, OK, 
we’ll create a company to take on those responsibilities, so your company can take on those apprentices.”