Strengthening Local Democracy

rkerley@qmu.ac.ukRichardkerley@gmail.com

COMMISSION ONSTRENGTHENINGLOCAL DEMOCRACY

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