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Empowering Local Democracy: Issues, Challenges, and Solutions

Explore the need for strengthening local democracy, challenges faced by current systems, and potential solutions to empower communities better. Delve into topics such as decentralization, representation, power dynamics, and the role of community councils. Join the discussion on how decisions about local matters should be made by the people who live and work in those areas to enhance democracy and civic engagement. Learn about the complexities of local governance, variations in council services, and the importance of balancing centralization with local autonomy. Engage with sessions covering decentralization, representative democracy, financial considerations, differential devolution of powers, and comparing local democracy practices globally.

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Empowering Local Democracy: Issues, Challenges, and Solutions

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  1. Strengthening Local Democracy rkerley@qmu.ac.uk Richardkerley@gmail.com

  2. Life Expectancy on the line – a key factor for us Borders 76.6/80.7 Yrs. East Lothian 76.1/80.6 Edin: 75.9/80.9 West Lothian: 74.9/78.7 North Lan: 72.6/77.9 Glasgow: 71.5/77.1

  3. ‘ … Decisions about ------------are best made by people who live and work in ----------- ‘

  4. Why Commission? • Because CoSLA has a right & duty to enter into the terms of our current constitutional discussion that is overwhelmingly centrally focused • Because our current version of local democracy is shrivelling in front of us [ Health Board Election Trials?] • Because it’s a powerful popular message to state openly that ‘local democracy ‘ goes beyond the current 32 councils • Because it’s right to challenge the increasing trends to centralisation and disengagement that we have seen over the past 7, 15, 30, 50, 60, 80 years…… • N.B.…… Various aspects are inter-related in complex ways • Today: Members of Commission highlighting key issues

  5. Understanding ‘Local’ <> ‘Democracy’ ? Not a new challenge • ‘…No part of our terms of reference seems to have given rise to more difficulty of interpretation – or, in our view , downright confusion ..’ • ‘….. [Local democracy ] is a necessary adjunct to national democracy ..’ • ‘…reverse the growing power of Whitehall ..’[STUC ‘67] • Wheatley Report [ 1966-69] Westminster&Holyrood?

  6. Local Democracy 2 • We are challenging increasing unnecessary centralisation • Consider the case for ‘intelligent centralisation’ – where/when it is made • Consider whether & how we take some decisions closer to natural communities than our current arrangements provide for. • Although ‘Scandimania’ may not be the answer - it does signal benefits of Up//Down balance

  7. More, smaller ‘burgh ‘ councils …….Not necessarily the answer

  8. So – Community Councils? • In any discussion/any company some very mixed views • They do potentially represent a vast increase in democratic influence • Edinburgh – 62 Councillors /[ poss.] near 600 CCouncillors • Glasgow 100+ CCs – 80% described as ‘active’ • 1973 Act doesn’t allow for ‘scrappage’ so : - • Trying ‘Cure’ must be a better option than dragging on; & may be a partial answer to ‘closer to people’ • ‘Powers’ NOT Budgets might be the approach ?

  9. Local Diversity <> Common Standards • Across the whole range of council services there are differences of homogeneity and diversity . • Education the most homogenous service ; people do not fail to get a school place for their child • ‘Leisure etc’ the least homogeneous • We consider there is space for more such [considered] variation & asymmetry

  10. Variations on Education Expenditure per capita

  11. Others less so –Variations on Recreation Expenditure per capita

  12. Asymmetry of Actions by councils – some ?s • Which powers /actions and at what geographical level • E.g. Visitor Tax : Edinburgh ; Highland [ all Highland?] ; Parts of South Ayrshire;Fife;A’Shire? • What other council services / actions are we happy with allowing discretion on ? • School ‘Meals’ = Breakfast/Midday? • What is currently a ‘may do ’ service rather than ‘shall do ’… • Does a ‘country wide ‘ party view trump a localism/ asymmetry stance?

  13. ‘ SO….decisions about Alva; Alloa; ; Clackmannan are best made by people who live and work in Alva ; Alloa; Clackmannan… ‘ Do you/we - really think they are ?

  14. Following Linked Sessions cover this complex territory • SESSION 1: Decentralisation & Aggregation // Universal  Rights • SESSION 2:  Representative /Participative Democracy are linked • SESSION 3 : Getting the Balance of '£' right • SESSION 4: Differential Devolution of Powers • SESSION 5: Local Democracy : Here and There

  15. Utilities And of course

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