Introduction

As discussed in Chapter One, party politics has become a dominant force in local government and shows little sign of diminishing in its impact. Indeed since 1974 it has become the norm in a large majority of local authorities for councillors to be selected, elected and sit on councils as representatives of political parties. Typically, councillors of all parties form party groups on the council and, where the opportunity arises, use the cohesiveness that party group membership provides to form administrations, and to make decisions in line with party policy. In some cases this is done through the instrument of an electoral majority; in others through a preparedness to enter into partnership or coalition arrangements with another party group (see Chapter Eight). These features of party politics in local government are well established and understood. What merits more detailed examination, however, are the ways in which party groups actually operate in local authorities, how the three major political parties differ in their organisation, operation and culture, and how these differences impact upon decision making.

The main purpose of this chapter is to compare how the party groups of the three major parties operate on council, and how their party affiliation affects group organisation and decision making. In addition, group whipping and discipline systems will be compared and their impact on group cohesiveness and intra-group relationships assessed. The different philosophies and organisation of the three major parties in local authorities will be examined to show how these factors affect their respective collective operations and cohesiveness. In this way, both the formal and informal behaviour of party groups will be analysed. The chapter will also include a brief case study of a non-participant observation of how a Labour group on a county council dealt with the controversial issue of a schools closure programme. Finally, the potential impact of the Labour government's introduction of local executives or cabinets will be analysed to assess how it may affect intra-group dynamics in the longer term.

The party politicisation of local government has resulted in a situation where policy and decision making is now conducted through the prism of the dominant party group (or groups in balanced authorities). The party group on council has become a major reference point not just for councillors themselves but increasingly for senior officers also.