Tag: Chris Game
The Tower Hamlets affair is a sad indictment of British local democracy
The Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles recent appointed commissioners to assist in the running of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets following the publication of a PwC ‘Best Value’ report. Chris Game argues that the affair shows the weakness of English local government and ignores the wishes of Tower Hamlets’ residents. Similar PostsThe PwC […]
The prospects for local government independence are bleak due to the centre’s unwillingness to give up power
In the wake of the Scottish independence referendum, devolution of power has become the political discussion de jour. Although most discussion has focussed on the relationship between Scotland and the rest of the UK, or on the regions, local government is still an important component of the debate. Recently, the Labour MP Graham Allen proposed legislation that […]
Will the results of May’s local elections in Northern Ireland be affected by gerrymandering?
Local elections will be held in Northern Ireland on 22nd May, for 11 new councils formed after a major local government reorganisation. The new councils were due to be elected in 2011 but these elections were postponed in light of accusations of gerrymandering. Chris Game looks back at the history of the reorganisation and considers the implications of […]
The government’s decision to terminate councillors’ pensions is very bad for local democracy
In last month’s budget, Chancellor George Osborne effectively scrapped pensions for local councillors, by terminating their membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme. In this post Chris Game discusses the decision and, drawing on a new report from the Council of Europe, argues that it continues a worrying trend . He suggests the move further weakens local […]
The Conservatives’ disastrous primary election in South East Cambridgeshire should not deter other local parties from using primaries
The Conservatives recently selected Lucy Frazer as their parliamentary candidate for South East Cambridgeshire following a mishandled primary election that, bizarrely, mirrored the plot of a Jeffrey Archer novel. Chris Game looks back on the episode in the context of the David Cameron’s efforts to introduce primaries to select candidates across the party, urging him and […]
Want a 50% turnout in a local election? Try Neighbourhood Planning
The government has introduced powers for local councils and community organisations to put new neighbourhood plans to a referendum of local voters. Chris Game has studied the referendums that have been held so far, and finds encouraging evidence of public engagement with the process. Turnouts of over 50% in local elections, unless they coincide with […]
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