BS1033 Local Government Continuity and Change

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BS1033 Local Government Continuity and Change

• 2. Local democracy is it viable?

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BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?

• Note the roles
• http//www.lga.sa.gov.au/role.htm

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BS1033 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)

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BS1033 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

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BS1033 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

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BS1033 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

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BS1033 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)

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BS1033 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.

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BS1033 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

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BS1033 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

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BS1033 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)

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BS1033 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!)

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BS1033 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

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BS1033 Local Government Continuity and
Change2. Local democracy is it viable?

• Southampton Councillors
• Local Government Information