THE recent editorial about the Welsh Minister for Public Services was a page full of political hopes and a ‘wish list’ for Westminster and Whitehall.

The emotive words used were, ‘Reform and reorganisation’ and ironically Pembrokeshire County Council was mentioned as an example, also the two years of press coverage.

Mr Leighton Andrews also mentioned the UK Labour party and its concern for the old Barnett funding policy being unsuitable for the current local authority finances. The strange thing was he never mentioned the parliamentary coalition role in this matter or any future government after the election.

He implied that there were many county councils in Wales where ‘people’ understood their roles and the difference between political and executive leadership.

Where are these ‘people’ are they electors, tax-payers or both, do the majority in Wales intend to vote Labour during the coming election?

Then he spoke about the Independent Re-numeration Panel and Appointments Commission for future senior civil servants and this is subject which very few – people’ understand. However they have been aware of how the British Civil Service has benefitted from central government ‘largesse’ compared with the ‘people’ in the private sector.

He says that the next ‘White Paper’ should contain a manifesto with regard to the ‘Accountability, Honesty and Transparency’, the electors have had not much of those virtues in the past decade.

The re-organistation of local government administration is going to be the easy half, but reformation will be the hard half.

The reason is that veteran councillors and senior civil servants prefer the ‘Status Quo’, salaries, expenses and prestige, reforming ideas will be left to the younger newly elected councillors.

There will be an enormous resistance to change from the general staff supported by their trade union. This has always brought disruption and strikes in the past and the taxpayer will suffer regardless of which party they vote for.

The attitudes and cultures between the politicians and the civil servants will need to be changed first and the best place to start will be Westminster and Whitehall.

Thankfully the electors will be able to reply on the Press and Tax Payers Alliance to keep them well informed.

JOHN DAVIS

Johnston