Tag: Local Government
The debate on the future of the British constitution must involve civil society
The referendum on Scottish independence has produced a burst of interest in constitutional issues, particularly following the Prime Minister’s espousal of ‘English Votes for English Legislation’. John Tizard argues that what follows mustn’t be an elite-led conversation, which avoids offering local government as the only solution, while including a large role for civil society. Similar […]
All public services are local: why we need smaller, and bigger, local government (in England)
It is well known that the UK is an over-centralised country, with Westminster and Whitehall continuing to hold the vast majority of British decision-making power. Colin Talbot argues that this state of affairs is stifling good policy-making and competent service management at all levels, with institutions like HMRC and the Prisons Service – despite being […]
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 […]
Parish councils can empower local communities, but we need more of them in cities
Parish councils, the lowest level of local government in the UK, tend to be synonymous with rural communities. But the government has taken steps to make it easier to create new councils, which have been seized upon by campaigners in a number of urban areas. In this post, Richard Berry discusses the trend and considers the […]
The emerging political consensus around local growth is encouraging, but now the hard work really begins
Devolution to local and regional government has been in vogue recently, with George Osborne and Ed Miliband each voicing their preferences for a new settlement between central and local government. Here, Neil McInroy argues that that is all well and good, but warm words are only a start, and that think tanks, campaigners, businesses and […]
The main parties’ race to the top on local devolution promises much – but will it deliver?
The Conservatives’ proposals for ‘Northern powerhouses’ and Labour’s Adonis report illustrate the promising nature of the emerging consensus on delivering meaningful devolution of powers from central to local and regional government. Here, the Chief Executive of the Centre for Cities think tank Alexandra Jones argues that we should encourage these developments, but also keep the […]
Local civic participation can help reinforce the legitimacy of the democratic system
Does citizen involvement with politics and local issues influence the way that citizens view their democratic institutions? According to Carolina Johnson, the answer is yes, with new research showing that getting involved in a local level helps to reinforce the legitimacy of political and democratic institutions and creates more democratically minded citizens. In the context […]
Euro elections – previewing the election in the North West
In our final regional preview for this week’s European Parliament elections, the Democratic Audit team look at the North West of England, a large region that elects eight MEPs. In 2009 the opposition Conservatives won the highest number of votes here and three seats, and the far right British National Party also won an MEP. […]
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 […]
After the government’s reforms, local authorities now have less capacity to detect and investigate instances of misconduct in public life
With the abolition of the Audit Commission and Standards Board, the government has radically reformed the monitoring and investigation of ethical standards in local government. Alan Doig discusses these changes and sets them in a wider context of reform, for instance the changing relationships between councils, the police and the NHS. He argues that the lack […]
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