A Daily Telegraph columnist informs us that Conservative politicians have been instructed to include the phrase “our plan for economic recovery” in almost everything they say. This replaces the previous mantra they were asked to repeat as often as possible, namely “the mess we inherited”. Focus groups have told them that the public thinks “plans” are good things – the phrase signals that someone knows what they want to achieve and how to do it. That all helps to build a sense of security. If only they had applied the same thinking to local government. If anything needs a plan for recovery, it is that. The Coalition Government’s austerity programme has devastated that important part of the everyday life of the country. But it’s happened