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| Tory failure to connect with cities will cost them in local elections | Tory failure to connect with cities will cost them in local elections |
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| The Tories don't get cities. While they may feel comfortable along the A40 corridor between North Kensington and the Cotswolds, they have failed to comprehend the urban and suburban world they are driving through. Thursday's local elections might just reveal the costs of such failure. | The Tories don't get cities. While they may feel comfortable along the A40 corridor between North Kensington and the Cotswolds, they have failed to comprehend the urban and suburban world they are driving through. Thursday's local elections might just reveal the costs of such failure. |
| Since the 1990s, the Tories have lost control of most of the major urban centres, and do not seem to understand why. Of the 68 London and metropolitan boroughs in the UK, 51 are today held by Labour and 14 by Conservatives, while Lib Dems hold a majority in only three. This is a growing concern for them: as our urban population continues to grow a rising share will move away from the natural Tory rural heartland. We are now 90.1% an urban nation, and this is growing at a rate of 0.7% every year. | Since the 1990s, the Tories have lost control of most of the major urban centres, and do not seem to understand why. Of the 68 London and metropolitan boroughs in the UK, 51 are today held by Labour and 14 by Conservatives, while Lib Dems hold a majority in only three. This is a growing concern for them: as our urban population continues to grow a rising share will move away from the natural Tory rural heartland. We are now 90.1% an urban nation, and this is growing at a rate of 0.7% every year. |
| Most of the 34 local elections held on Thursday will be held in non-metropolitan areas. But the Tories' failure to understand cities will still have an impact on these results. In the past few months, numerous Tory pressure groups have started to ask why they cannot seem to galvanise any support. David Skelton, formerly of Policy Exchange, was forced to admit: "Whole urban centres outside of the south of England now have no Tory representation whatsoever." | Most of the 34 local elections held on Thursday will be held in non-metropolitan areas. But the Tories' failure to understand cities will still have an impact on these results. In the past few months, numerous Tory pressure groups have started to ask why they cannot seem to galvanise any support. David Skelton, formerly of Policy Exchange, was forced to admit: "Whole urban centres outside of the south of England now have no Tory representation whatsoever." |
| The government sees cities solely as economic zones, and as a result better left to themselves. They recognise that they are different, but they don't know why. In July 2011, Greg Clark was named minister for cities, although this was in fact a continuation of his role as minister in charge of decentralisation. Devolution, it seems, is the only game in town. | The government sees cities solely as economic zones, and as a result better left to themselves. They recognise that they are different, but they don't know why. In July 2011, Greg Clark was named minister for cities, although this was in fact a continuation of his role as minister in charge of decentralisation. Devolution, it seems, is the only game in town. |
| Instead they have found new ways to tie themselves in knots. Take, for example, the recent plans to expand our towns and cities. Nick Boles, the planning minister, has suggested that 1,500 square miles of land – twice the area of Greater London – should be used, increasing the urban footprint from 9% to 12% of the country. This poor use of space does not create cities, only sprawl. Last month, Boles was recorded confiding in a group of leading developers that he was willing to go to war with countryside campaigners in order to push through the changes. | Instead they have found new ways to tie themselves in knots. Take, for example, the recent plans to expand our towns and cities. Nick Boles, the planning minister, has suggested that 1,500 square miles of land – twice the area of Greater London – should be used, increasing the urban footprint from 9% to 12% of the country. This poor use of space does not create cities, only sprawl. Last month, Boles was recorded confiding in a group of leading developers that he was willing to go to war with countryside campaigners in order to push through the changes. |
| The next big idea from the planning ministry is allowing office space to be converted for residential use. This may allow for more new spaces to live in the centre of the city, and could be done in a sustainable way, but as, Ruth Reed of RIBA has commented, this "will not be the antidote to the housing crisis". It might even have a very adverse impact. As commercial rates lose out to residential rents, we may see many offices cleared out and repurposed on the cheap. This will damage the small creative industries of which the government think themselves the guardians. | |
| Examples like this are a reminder that the Tories misunderstand the city as a social landscape as well as a built environment. In November 2010, they launched Tech City in the hipster-ish neighbourhood of Shoreditch, east London. David Cameron himself announced that this place would become the new Silicon Roundabout, home to the future hi-tech industries. | Examples like this are a reminder that the Tories misunderstand the city as a social landscape as well as a built environment. In November 2010, they launched Tech City in the hipster-ish neighbourhood of Shoreditch, east London. David Cameron himself announced that this place would become the new Silicon Roundabout, home to the future hi-tech industries. |
| Within the first two years Tech City has attracted Google, Intel, McKinsey and Vodafone to the region, but, as a recent report from the thinktank Centre for London has shown, it has also created a barrier to more local creativity, which cannot find space among the corporations. Meanwhile, no effort had been made to provide cheap office space, to provide seed investment for start-ups, or even offer free Wi-Fi through the neighbourhood. | Within the first two years Tech City has attracted Google, Intel, McKinsey and Vodafone to the region, but, as a recent report from the thinktank Centre for London has shown, it has also created a barrier to more local creativity, which cannot find space among the corporations. Meanwhile, no effort had been made to provide cheap office space, to provide seed investment for start-ups, or even offer free Wi-Fi through the neighbourhood. |
| Where they do run local councils, the Tories seem determined to have only one game plan. Following on from the debacles of Hammersmith & Fulham, Barnet is now selling of 70% of all public services to two private companies for approximately £320m. This no-frills "easyCouncil" is being closely watched by other Tory councils as a possible way forward. | Where they do run local councils, the Tories seem determined to have only one game plan. Following on from the debacles of Hammersmith & Fulham, Barnet is now selling of 70% of all public services to two private companies for approximately £320m. This no-frills "easyCouncil" is being closely watched by other Tory councils as a possible way forward. |
| The Tories' dilemma is that they threaten to offend their rural heartlands whenever they try too hard to look metropolitan: as a result, high-speed rail is needed to connect our metropolitan centres, but seemingly not through Tory constituencies. Immigration policy too only illustrates incomprehension: cities need more immigrants, not less. In the next 20 years, 750,000 new jobs at graduate level will be created in London. Our education system is not prepared for this, and so we must look elsewhere for the workers, or we lose the work. | The Tories' dilemma is that they threaten to offend their rural heartlands whenever they try too hard to look metropolitan: as a result, high-speed rail is needed to connect our metropolitan centres, but seemingly not through Tory constituencies. Immigration policy too only illustrates incomprehension: cities need more immigrants, not less. In the next 20 years, 750,000 new jobs at graduate level will be created in London. Our education system is not prepared for this, and so we must look elsewhere for the workers, or we lose the work. |
| In theory, having a London Tory mayor should help to reconnect the Tories to the city. Sadly, he is going to be no help at the elections this week. Boris Johnson is the metropolitan opposition within the party, yet cannot see north of Primrose Hill. He is a constant reminder of how far the government has failed when it comes to cities, but can offer little in the way of solution. Much of the distinction between City Hall and No 10 is usually blamed on a personality clash, but one shouldn't underestimate how much it tells us about the growing difference between London and the rest of the country. | In theory, having a London Tory mayor should help to reconnect the Tories to the city. Sadly, he is going to be no help at the elections this week. Boris Johnson is the metropolitan opposition within the party, yet cannot see north of Primrose Hill. He is a constant reminder of how far the government has failed when it comes to cities, but can offer little in the way of solution. Much of the distinction between City Hall and No 10 is usually blamed on a personality clash, but one shouldn't underestimate how much it tells us about the growing difference between London and the rest of the country. |