COMMISSION ON
STRENGTHENING
LOCAL DEMOCRACY
Strengthening Local Democracy
rkerley@qmu.ac.uk
Richardkerley@gmail.com
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
‘ … 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 ..’
Westminster
• ‘…reverse the growing power of
Whitehall
..’[STUC ‘67]
&Holyrood?
• Wheatley Report [ 1966-69]
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
ALL
* >50%
2007
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