Letter: Single-tier district councils will not succeed

Sir: May I express the hope that the letter (21 April) from the chief executives of the district councils does not reflect the quality of thinking they apply to the affairs of their councils? It must surely be evident that the restructuring of local government now proposed will be the occasion for yet another reduction in the ability of local government to deal with anything at all.

If anyone supposes, for example, that any government would allow responsibility for education to be transferred to a large number of new education authorities, rather than removed from local government altogether, they must have dreamt their way through the past 15 years.

A close reading of The Walrus and the Carpenter, with emphasis on the conduct and fate of the oysters, should be required reading for any who believe that restructuring local government in the present climate will lead to anything other than its continued demolition.

Yours faithfully,

PETER NEWSAM

Director

Institute of Education

London, WC1