Leave key decisions on local services to the local experts

Ben Bradley wants to see decisions on local services made by those actually running them

It’s a huge moment in British history and means a change of direction, as the Government is now tasked with making a success of relationships across the whole world.

There are huge opportunities to support business and jobs, to reduce prices in the shops and extend the choices available to consumers if we all get it right.

The next stage, the trade negotiations, will be much more private and take place largely behind closed doors, which gives the Government another opportunity – a chance to refocus on its domestic challenges.

It needs to deal with our healthcare, education and crime, just as we Conservatives promised in the election.

There’s a theme that I have noticed during my almost three years in Parliament, as I’ve visited local services across all sorts of sectors which it that so many local service providers want more flexibility to be able to do as they see fit.

So many of them would like to be empowered to take local decisions and act in the way that is best for our community rather than being tied to national rules and directives.

I still feel that it’s a bit of a waste of all of that talent and training of people if we don’t then let them loose to act in the best way that they can.

It might be teachers who know their children, know the local challenges and have big plans as to everything they could do, who are then tied to the national curriculum and strict testing regime that prevents them from doing something different.

It might be local doctors who see their patients, know the local healthcare landscape and have big plans as to how they could open up access to local services, but are tied to central NHS contracts that dictate what they must do and when.

The key thing I’d like to see to improve our public services, now that Brexit is done, is for Government to trust the people on the front lines. If we hand over the control to the local professionals, with the flexibility and the clout to make a change, then we can make a real difference.

That’s my big ask ahead of the reshuffle this month – a long-term plan to empower people and allow them to get our services right