Plans to give people greater say in English councils' spending "gesture politics".

8.34.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 5th Jul 2007

Plans to give people a greater say in how English councils spend their money have been unveiled by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears.

She announced 10 pilot schemes where residents will decide spending priorities for budgets ranging from £200,000 to £23m.They would decide whether more money should be spent on services like police, cleaning up parks and refuse collections. The object is to give some of the most powerless people a voice, get involved with spending on their neighbourhoods and feel proud of their area, said Ms Blears..

But for the Lib Dems, Andrew Stunell said it was "nothing more than gesture politics" which would not give people a bigger say.

He said it would be better to give councillors more powers to "stick up for their areas on vital decisions such as planning and licensing decisions".

It believes it would be better to devolve the money to frontline councillors who could consult on how the money was spent in their wards.

Ms Blears, a former councillor, said it was not about "bypassing councils", but aimed at getting local people and councils together. She said: "Democracy should be about much more than casting a vote every few years.

"It should be a daily activity, not an abstract theory. Local people know the needs of their area better than anyone."