THE Welsh Government should apologise to local councils for “hectoring” them in the past, the local government secretary has said.

Blaenau Gwent AM Alun Davies wrote about the relationship between the Welsh Government and local councils in his blog.

The cabinet secretary for Local Government and Public Services wrote: “Great efforts have been made recently to re-build and re-set the relationship and there is certainly a sense that things have improved significantly.

“We need to build on these firm foundations. For me, it is time that Welsh Government joined the debate over the future of local government with a degree of humility rather than an over-large helping of hubris.

“Too often in the past the tone from Welsh Government has been hectoring, arrogant and policy expressed in intemperate language with criticism that has been unwarranted and unjustified.

“Perhaps it’s time for the Government to say sorry and to start again.”

Mr Davies said he has written to all local government leaders asking them for their ideas for powers that should be provided to local government.

“What are the freedoms and flexibilities that they need to deliver on their mandates and ambitions?” he continued. “I will publish the answers and will publish a route map to deliver those new powers.”

In his blog, Mr Davies said a speech last year by Newport’s council leader Debbie Wilcox helped him understand that times are changing.

“As well as telling me that the inherited policy of mandated regional working wasn’t a runner I was also told that the current shape and structure of local government is not sustainable. And it is this latter point that has dominated my conversations with local government leaders since November,” he wrote.