What the heck is going on?

If ever you've wondered about the various structures that lie above us (in a political-bureacratic sense), well, here we go:

Local authorities are responsible for local government, on issues like traffic and the environment, or the youth and social services. A full list of Bradford's officers is available.

Councillors are elected according to political party and in each ward. A city is divided into many wards. A full list of current councillors is provided. The councillors sit on various committees through which they monitor and check local governance. There is also a local chamber in which matters of importance can be debated.

Bradford city centre is currently undergoing massive regeneration, the company responsible is the Bradford urban regeneration company.

Education Bradford is responsible for overseeing educational standards in Bradford's schools. It is currently being run by Serco, a private firm, because Bradford's educational services were rendered to the private sector about five years ago. Serco is half way through a ten year contract.

Bradford NHS is divided into primary care trusts, district care trusts and hospital trusts.

Bradford Vision is the local strategic partnership, set up to help improve the delivery of local services. It includes neighbourhood renewal in its portfolio. The council, the NHS, the police and regional representatives sit on its board.

The government office for Yorkshire and Humber is the national government's regional outlay, delivering on its policies and programmes. That is, that government directives come through the government office.

The regional assembly for Yorkshire and Humber is the voice for the region.

Yorkshire Forward is the regional development agency and drives the regeneration (especially economic) of the region.

In terms of national government, there is the Department of Health (NHS), the Department of Education and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister which manages many of the social concerns such as cohesion, renewal and inclusion.

In terms of the Home Office, it is divided into various sections of which two are particularly relevant: communities and security.

There are three MPs in the House of Commons that are elected according to areas of Bradford (Bradford West, Bradford South etc.)

Then, there's Europe...