strengthening local democracy
DESCRIPTION
Strengthening Local Democracy. [email protected] [email protected]. 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. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Life Expectancy on the line – a key factor for us
Borders 76.6/80.7 Yrs.
East Lothian 76.1/80.6
Edin: 75.9/80.9West Lothian:
74.9/78.7North Lan: 72.6/77.9
Glasgow: 71.5/77.1
‘ … Decisions about ------------are best made by people who live and
work in ----------- ‘
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
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
?
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
More, smaller ‘burgh ‘ councils …….Not necessarily the answer
Date Where ? Contested Turnout
2012 Scotland ALL 39.1
2007 ALL * >50%
1972 Scotland No contests in 83 Burghs
1967 Scotland 37% of seats 47% where contests
1935 Dundee 12 of 14 60%-70%
1926 Dundee All bar 1 ward 41%-54%
“ Newburgh - 21%
“ Lochgelly - 85.5%
We appear [in the UK ] not to be very keen on voting !
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 ?
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
Variations on Education Expenditure per capita
Others less so –Variations on Recreation Expenditure per capita
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?
‘ 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 ?
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
Utilities
And of course