Building sub-national government
The Scottish Government’s emphasis on post-independence partnership with the UK makes it difficult to mobilise voters behind constitutional change
In 2014 Scotland will decide whether it wants to become an independent nation, but in an increasingly interdependent world. In the latest post of our Future of the Union series, Nicola McEwen suggests that the Scottish Government’s case to the electorate is based on future close cooperation between an independent Scotland, the UK and other […]
Those who argue outsourcing endangers accountability are still fighting the last war
Critics of the practice of outsourcing – paying external organisations to provide public services – point to a lack of democratic accountability and public service ethos in justifying their view. But is this fair? Simon Parker, the Director of the New Local Government Network think tank, and a veteran of the CBI’s Public Services Strategy […]
Welsh incremental devolution: history repeats itself, first as tragedy then as tax?
The possibility of significant tax devolution to the Welsh National Assembly appears to be an increasingly remote prospect. In the latest post of Democratic Audit’s Future of the Union series, Adam Evans argues that Financial Competence Orders, a system for devolving taxation, should become the focus for Welsh devolutionists. Similar PostsDon’t expect meaningful fiscal devolution for […]
We need meaningful decentralisation if we are to tackle England’s North/South divide
The North of England struggles when compared to the South on any number of economic and social metrics. In a speech given at a recent Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) conference in Manchester the leader of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood, argues that tackling it requires leaving behind England’s centralised model of Government, and embracing […]
Women are held back in local government by a culture that pigeonholes us into ‘women’s issues’
Local government remains a male-dominated world, with men making up a majority of both total and senior roles. If we are to achieve an equal balance, local government needs to make jobs and elected roles in the sector easier to access for those with other commitments, and stop pigeonholing women, says Laura Wilkes of the […]
Unfinished devolution has created constitutional imbalances in the UK
In the 2012 audit of UK democracy, Stuart Wilks-Heeg, Andrew Blick, and Stephen Crone considered how effectively the UK constitution matched the territorial structure of the UK. Following England and Scotland’s national football teams facing each other in a rare match at Wembley, this post draws on their analysis to explore how the UK’s nations have fared in constitutional reforms of recent […]
The recent history of school governance has been one of an accelerating decline in democratic accountability
Free schools and academy schools have been flagship education policies for the Coalition since it came to power in 2010. But while the government claims that these schools are more responsive to local needs, Chris Waterman argues that they have no accountability to local authorities or indeed, to the local communities whose children they educate. […]
Despite the manner of their election, Police and Crime Commissioners are bringing about a significant change in the governance of the police
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections in November 2012 marked a historic change in the democratic accountability of police services in England and Wales. Barry Loveday considers why public enthusiasm for the elections was so low, and goes on to assess the early performance of PCCs in office. Despite their limited electoral mandates, he finds, […]
Book Review: Local Democracy, Civic Engagement and Community: From New Labour to the Big Society
This accessible book includes an analysis of local democracy, civic engagement and participation across a range of policy areas and in the context of debates around accountability, legitimacy, sustainability, localism and the ‘big society’. Drawing on a wide range of examples, Hugh Atkinson argues that local democracy is a vibrant terrain of innovation, civic engagement and participation, […]
England needs an influx of young, diverse councillors
Local councils continue to be a stronghold for older, retired, white men, where youth and diversity are often considered cause for suspicion rather than a resource of which to draw. Samir Jeraj, a former young Councillor himself, looks at the arguments for giving local government in the UK a shakeup, with an influx of fresh, […]
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