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David Cameron has promised a "radical redistribution of power" away from Whitehall and down to local communities.
In a speech to an audience of cabinet ministers, permanent secretaries and senior civil servants in London today, the prime minister unveiled new government “business plans” which he said would enable the public to track progress of the reforms and the results departments are achieving.
"For a long time, government’s default position has been to solve problems by hoarding more power to the centre – passing laws, creating regulations, setting up taskforces," he said.
"Instead of bureaucratic accountability to the government machine, these Business Plans bring in a new system of democratic accountability – accountability to the people.
"So reform will be driven not by the short-term political calculations of the government, but by the consistent, long-term pressure of what people want and choose in their public services – and that is the horizon shift we need."
He said his government will be the first in a generation to leave office with less power concentrated in Whitehall than it inherited and will “take power from government and hand it to people, families and communities".
"Earlier this year, Nick Clegg and I set out the purpose of this government. That is to make two major shifts in our national life. A power shift – a radical redistribution of power from governments to communities and people – and a horizon shift, so that we govern for the long-term; taking the difficult decisions we need to equip Britain for success in the decades to come. These Business Plans are key to achieving these shifts."
Cameron set out his broad vision in an article in The House Magazine at the beginning of October where he said the coalition was committed to "turning the tide on decades of centralisation" and was determined to tale its "fingers off the levers of power" – however difficult that may be.
In his article Cameron is clear that he wants his and Clegg's government to be remembered for more than simply cutting government spending.
"We are agreed that the most urgent issue facing us is reducing the deficit and continuing to ensure economic recovery. But though deficit-reduction might dominate for a while, it is not the dominant purpose of this coalition," he said.
In an appearance before the MPs last month, the head of the civil service, Sir Gus O'Donnell, set out what he believed the role of the civil service would be under the coalition government.
He told MPs that civil servants would now be concentrating on setting up the structures to allow people to deliver public services at a local level, rather than delivering outcomes themselves.
Under the plan politicians would be judged on whether those structures allowed people to deliver the outcomes desired.
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