Is Central Governement a cost effective way of running a country?

Question

To build a bollard to stop a rat run it needs the Borough Council to apply to County Council; whom apply to Central Government in Westminster, there it travels through the various departments until it reaches the one that makes the decision, and it goes eventually goes back to the department that informs County Council to report their final decision to the Borough Council. In the case of the bollard in my town it took 18 months!!!!!
How much money could have been saved had Borough Council been able to make it's own decision?????

Answer 1

You simply could not be more correct. Of course it's not cost effective. What the central government have never fully grasped is the concept of applying "economies of scale" to the operations of government.

All too often, Westminster behaves like a third-world government where the central authority feels compelled to control everything because they don't trust that locals can tie their shoes without a fifty page manual.

This fear of decentralizing authority is the bane of society. We need to rethink the very idea of administration to deduce what aspects of government are most efficiently and effectively managed at National, County and Local levels.

This sounds complicated, but in fact it's not. It only requires politicians and bureaucrats to disenthrall themselves from antiquated notions of "Mummy Knows Best" and look at the facts straight on.

Answer 2

I have had a problem recently that sums up in my mind the complete and utter pointlessness of central government. Admittedly I was unaware as a new resident I hadn't checked ...

I should have a recycling bin, that bin should be provided free, I hadn't received one. So ... being a little naffed off that I was paying for a service I was not getting I contacted my "local" MP ... he in turn sent various emails around and the matter was concluded "swiftly" within a day by the council operative emailing myself to say a bin was on order ... 3 Months later I still had not received my Bin, so once again, I contacted my "local" MP, voicing my concerns and explaining that if (as my close) only 40% of the populous were not receiving something they should and demanded rebates, the "local" council and "local" MP would look a little daft ... Anyway, to cut a rambling story shorter ... It turns out my "local" MP has absolutely no authority over my "local" Council as one is Lib Dem the other Conservative.

To me, I find this ridiculous, as our representative in Parliament he effectively gets paid a minor fortune for no responsibility what-so-ever. Whoever is in charge of "Local" problems, to my mind also needs to be directly linked to our vote in Westminster. As with my problem, the MP is the one that will look bad because of various current Green issues, but has no authority to enforce them. Effectively an over-paid figure-head ... MOST annoying.

Answer 3

Central gov is not the way to run a country. UK as we are now all aware is splitting off into it's historic bits - Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, London Assembly etc.

Anything local must and is usually dealt with by the local authority which gets elected by the people. If you're not happy with what's happening where you live, do please vote at the next locals which I think are in May for England and Scotland plus Scottish Parliament, but not in London. We do ours at another time when no one is looking, or something like that. Anyway, no matter what, it's Ken for mayor, etc.

The guy above with the recycle bin problem needs to contact his local coucillor[s] - there should be at least two possibly three in each ward. It's their job to chase things up. The MP was doing you a favour. My guess is someone got a rocket and is now taking revenge - beware of the unknown faceless bureacrats - bastards one and all.

Answer 4

To centralise or localise.

I say a combo of the both in Favour of local solutions to local problems with local council budgets been handled better.

Or perhaps some sort of fastrack route for low cost projects

Answer 5

all things being equal, it is supposed to be. time wasting resulting from bureaucracy does not neccessarily translate into high cost. imagine the cost of having dept replicas all over the place. if u talked of speed and efficiecy if Borough council could make decisions of her own, that'll be understood

Answer 6

Central Govt will not save anything.It may require more civil servants and offices to run the administration.Their expenses will be more.

Answer 7

There are too many bureaucrats in this country. They all take huge sums in expenses, massive salaries, back handers with their friends.

We dont need them.

Bring back good honest politicians & we only need a few of them (not more than twenty).

Answer 8

It certainly isn't as far as this lot is concerned. If they were as competent as they are interfering we might see some benefits. As it is, they have obviously never heard of the 'if it's not broke, don't mend it' philosophy.

Answer 9

If the present load of New McLabour dimwits is anything to go by - NO IT BLO*DY WELL IS NOT.