Democracy and Devolution

British democracy is in need of a large scale systemic reform. International comparisons show us that in terms of both financial control and power, we are one of the most centralised nations in the developed world. We have a consistently low turnout at local elections, and the public perception of local government is consistently poor. Over several generations national inequality has grown, and the productivity of public services has fallen. Yet despite these failures, most people are unaware as to how their local public services are performing. There are often unfounded public fears over what have been termed “postcode lotteries”, which have been promulgated by both politicians and the media. Such fears have led to reluctance amongst successive governments to allow local variation in the provision of local services to the detriment of public services improvement.

We need fresh new ways of thinking about the nature of our democracy, and about the challenge the current orthodoxy which exists about the governance of the UK. In an age with unparalleled access to information, there are few excuses to prevent more and more power and information being handed down to local communities. Perhaps too, we need new ways of engaging citizens in decision making, and new ways of thinking about elections to make voting really matter. The balance of power between central and local government will continue to be a significant source of tension, and the defining feature of the British democracy. Devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a good starting point, but going forward, a lot will depend on the key relationships between Parliament, the European Union and local councils.

4 Projects

Devolution beyond local government

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