Title: BS1033 Local Government Continuity and Change
1BS1033 Local Government Continuity and Change
- 2. Local democracy is it viable?
2BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- Note the roles
- http//www.lga.sa.gov.au/role.htm
3BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- Under the current system, councillors spend much
of their time attending committee meetings. The
new system will change their role so that much
more of their job will involve representing their
local communities. - As part of this new, representative role,
councillors will also - represent local views, aspirations and concerns
to providers of services across the city - monitor the provision of local services
- represent their communities on outside bodies.
- (York City Council)
4BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- The democratic deficit
- Elected members for every 100 citizens
- France 116
- Germany 250
- Denmark 1084
- UK 2605
5BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- Results in 2000 indicated
- Seats Share
- Conservatives 1327 39
- Labour 1117 33
- Liberal Democrat 726 21
- Indepnedent 106 3
6BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- Good Guardian article
- http//society.guardian.co.uk/localgovelections/st
ory/0,8150,501803,00.html
7BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- What are people voting for
- National issues represented on a local scale
(hospitals, schools) - Local issues only if strongly energised
- Voting against rather than voting for
- Too many elections or too few?
- Swings tend to be regional (e.g. North, Midlands)
8BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- But..
- Nearly two-thirds of the general public are
satisfied with the overall service provided by
their local council, the government announced
today. - The figure, compiled from the first set of
coordinated satisfaction surveys to be held by
councils across England, provides an unexpectedly
upbeat public assessment of crucial local
government services such as education and social
care. - But the headline figure masks very low
satisfaction figures for some individual
councils, including the crisis-stricken London
borough of Hackney, which received a rating of
just 25. - At the other end of the scale, more than nine out
of 10 residents in the Hampshire district of New
Forest were satisfied with their council's
performance.
9BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- The democratic deficit Turnout in local
government elections in May 2000 - Overall turnout was 29.6 (26 in metropolitan
boroughs) - Turnout exceed 40 in only 4 of the 152 local
authorities with an election - In Liverpool, turnout was lower than 1 in 5
- In some wards, turnout was lower than 1 in 10
10BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- Explanations for low turnout include
- General pattern of lower turnout in the UK
- No PR in Britain and therefore the result is
predictable? - Local government financial regime
- Lack of autonomy (real power) for local
authorities
11BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- What can be done about it ?
- 38 Pilot schemes in 32 local authorities have
included - electronic voting (Bury,Salford,Stratford)
- Early voting in designated polling stations
- Weekend,extended hours voting
- Relaxed rules on postal voting (some even
entirely postal voting in some wards)
12BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- What is the exact nature of the problem?
- What solution would you suggest
- How would you implement it (at little cost!)
13BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- Sources
- Local government in general (including elections)
- http//www.lgcnet.com/
- Low turnout
- http//www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/
pa/cm199798/cmselect/cmhaff/768/768ap35.htm
14BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?
- Southampton Councillors
- Local Government Information