Loss of control

Sir – I must congratulate Keith Mitchell, leader of Oxfordshire County Council (OCC), for his letter to the Department for Education that you quoted on your front page article on Thursday, September 1. In his letter he highlights a number of problems that are the consequence of the creation of academies. These include the loss of local control to best allocate financial resources for education and youth services across the county, and the loss of local democratic oversight of taxpayer-funded education. But the issues he raises in relation to education are already or will soon be affecting every facet of public services, and in many cases, keenly promoted by the political party of which he is a member, and a strong supporter of their policies. For example, the cuts in Oxfordshire’s health budget and its obligations to meet the payments for its Private Finance Initiative contracts mean that our local health authority has lost flexibility in managing its costs and increases the chances for cuts in healthcare. The situation with the NHS will only get worse if the legislation being voted on this week is passed. On top of this, our government is planning similar changes across every area of public service. In every case it will result in a loss of financial control and democratic accountability at national and local government levels. Mr Mitchell needs to look at the legislative plans coming from his party and think about the consequences beforehand, rather than waiting until OCC receives its instructions from Westminster and then for OCC to evaluate the consequences.