If the localism agenda is to fulfil its potential, councils need the power of the purse

The specifics of the Coalition Government’s Localism Act, passed to much fanfare almost exactly two years ago, were controversial and yet they did speak to a political consensus about the desirability of moving towards greater autonomy for local government. Writing about the publication of a new IPPR report, Sarah Armitage concludes that if the localism agenda is to fulfil its transformative potential then local authorities need greater spending and tax raising powers.