In the long grass
Labour postpones an awkward decision until after the election
AMID a summer blitz of initiatives and policies designed to set the agenda for next year's election, the government has been strangely coy about one important subject: the reform of local-government finance. An inquiry on this vexed issue published its report on July 20th, but with a disclaimer. Though chaired by Nick Raynsford, who just happens to be the minister responsible, it was “a report to government, not by government”.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “In the long grass”
From the July 24th 2004 edition
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