Paul Goodman writes admiringly about Eric Pickles – the Tories’ action man - in today’s Telegraph.
In little more than three months, Pickles has announced an end to regional housebuilding targets, home insurance packs, the comprehensive area assessment system for local councils, the Standards Board, the proposed unitary local authority for Norwich, the local government office for London, bin taxes (provoking a simmering row with Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary) ...and abolished the Audit Commission.
He's also released details online of all department spending over £500, instructed local authorities to do the same, tightened rules about councils publishing newspapers, and attacked his Labour predecessors for squandering taxpayers' money on official photographs and fancy furniture, all the while trumpeting a new "golden age for local government".
Apart from knowing who the Environment Secretary is, I really haven't a clue what he's talking about.
