Les Bonner

Democratically elected town hall leaders have launched a campaign calling for a radical overhaul of the unelected quango state to ensure that taxpayers get value for money and can see where their taxes are being spent.

A campaign, has been launched by the Local Government Association at its Annual Conference in Harrogate.  The campaign will identify areas where taxpayers’ money is being wasted and where local people are being denied a say on decisions that affect them.  The campaign will also aim to identify things that quangos are doing well and set out ways that these can be used by other quangos.

There are 791 quangos in England and Wales that spend £43.2bn every year, which equals £2,000 for every household, but there is a serious lack of public scrutiny of where and how this money is spent. 

Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA, said:

“It is time for a radical overhaul of the quango state that gives taxpayers more direct influence through the ballot box over how their money is spent by government at all levels.

“People have the right to see where their money is being spent and they are losing confidence in the way the political world can be removed from them and their everyday lives.

“In the coming months we’ll be taking a close look at how quangos work, whether they provide people with value for money and whether they are genuinely open and transparent. I am confident that some quangos will pass with flying colours, whilst others may have some work to do to come up to scratch.

“This isn’t about bashing quangos – we want to highlight some of the things that they are doing well and see where this can be taken up across the board.”