What Lib Dems will do for us

BY half past midnight, Steve Galloway is looking tired but quietly triumphant.

As well he might: his Liberal Democrats are on their way to a sweeping victory in York which will see them take 29 of the 47 city council seats and give them a solid outright majority.

Already, sitting in a quiet side room in Guildhall as results continue to come in in the main hall nearby, he is preparing himself to take over the responsibility for governing York.

There will be no revolution, he says: no changes overnight. Children will still go to school in the morning, old people's homes will remain open.

Of course. But still, having won on a ticket of change, it is clear that change there will have to be. So what are his priorities?

A slight smile flickers at his lips. "We've spent a lot of time during the last year talking to people in York, getting their views before we actually put together our election manifesto. It is quite clear that people are concerned about falling council service standards. They are concerned about dumping, and rubbish, the threat to the green belt around York, and big issues such as the evolving level of street level crime."

Those are the things they are concerned about, among others.

So what is the new, Liberal Democrat-led council going to do about them?

First, he says, new councillors are going to have to familiarise themselves with the way the council works. There will be group meetings to decide priorities, and meetings with council officers to ensure they know what those priorities are. All the normal business of changing over an administration, in other words.

And then? "Very early in our administration we will want to get to grips with some of the problems out on the streets in terms of litter and dumping. That's something we would like to try to deliver very early for the people of York.

"A year from now, we would like to see a clean city, one of which people are increasingly proud. And we'll try to deal with some of the problems that we all find so awful, such as bed blocking, which I think is an outrageous thing to be happening in this day and age."

Two clear, populist commitments there, even at this early stage. But what about Coppergate II? It is an issue that some, including York's new Green councillors Mark Hills and Andy D'Agorne, say explains the Green Party's strong showing in York at this election. Will the Liberal Democrats do anything to try to stop the development?

"Clearly, we're still waiting for the decision from John Prescott," says Coun Galloway. "It can go three ways. He might approve it; he might approve it with conditions; or, he could reject it altogether."

And if he approves it, what with the Liberal Democrats do then?

"We will decide our position when we know that decision. But I do want to make it clear that we have never felt it was possible to simply grass over the castle car park, even though there are a small number of people who see that as the future for the site."

No riverside park in the Eye of York, then? If John Prescott approves it, it seems, the scheme will go ahead with little opposition from York's new Liberal Democrat rulers. "We're not prepared to lose the £1 million in revenue," says Coun Galloway. "But I would expect there to be some changes to the architecture on the Clifford's Tower side." Major changes? "We expect that we would be able to negotiate details."

No change on Coppergate, in other words. But in other ways, we can expect to see big changes in the way the council operates.

One clear priority of the new Liberal Democrat leader is to cut back on what he regards as the council's over-reliance on spin and presentation.

One of the first things his group will do, he says, is look at ways of "restructuring" the council, so resources can be focused where they are needed most.

That won't mean job losses, he says. "We're a party that has come to power on the basis of providing improved services, not cutting services. Actually, I think a lot of people who have worked for the council for a long time will be pleased that there has been a change after 20 years."

What it will mean, however, is certain areas of council activity being trimmed back in favour of others. Marketing and communications is one area Coun Galloway has already earmarked for cutbacks. "There has been a lot of spin," he says. And York under the Liberal Democrats will also be less willing to dance to the central government tune. "We've had all these best value reviews, and an over-reliance, to my mind, on satisfying central government's latest flavour-of-the-month."

Less emphasis on presentation, and more on delivery, is what he seems to be promising - that, and less of a willingness to automatically throw precious resources behind whatever is the national Labour Government's latest whim.

Does that mean running into conflict with Tony Blair?

Not necessarily, he says. "Labour nationally are saying they want good quality councils, and they will certainly get that with us." But if writing a 12- page report instead of a 100-page report on the latest Government "best value" review can save money, that is what may happen, he says.

A Liberal Democrat York will also be more willing to fight for a fair share when it comes to Government handouts, he says - something he implies the Labour-run council was not always very good at doing.

Which brings me to the big question. What about council tax? The Liberal Democrats in York have been accused in some quarters of being a "tax and spend" party - making all kinds of commitments that can only be met by increasing council taxes yet again.

Will they?

"Our opponents have tried to label us in that way," he says, choosing his words with care. "We do recognise that elderly people who have been living in York on jobs that perhaps weren't very well paid have ended up on relatively small pensions, and that for them council tax increases such as we have seen in the last few years will cause hardship.

"We will consult before we make any decision about council tax. But we will explain to people that sometimes a stitch in time saves nine and that there can be false economy.

"I think if people can see that we are cutting back on the tinsel and gloss, they will be more willing to make their contribution towards ensuring their buildings and roads are kept in good, safe condition."

Maybe they will, maybe they won't. It will depend on the extent to which York's Liberal Democrats can deliver on people's expectations.

And that's something only time will reveal.

Updated: 11:37 Friday, May 02, 2003