The Conservatives launched their election manifesto yesterday, pledging to break-down the power of central government to hand greater control of how we are governed to the public through local referendums, allowing parents to start their own schools and to introduce directly-elected police commissioners.

Jonathan Tonge, professor of politics at the University of Liverpool, and Phillip Blond, director of independent public policy think-tank ResPublica, examine whether localism improves society.

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