‘Representing the future’ – the Report of the Councillors Commission could have come at no better time for the informing of the debate about the renewal of democratic engagement in the UK.
Reading the report through again this weekend (it was released back in December) I couldn’t help thinking how important developing new ideas about local governance will be in parallel to those needed in national party politics – they’re mutually essential debates we have to embrace in the coming years, and as Labour’s progressives we have and need to be at the cutting edge of the implementation of its conclusions.
So let’s look at the essential stats – of all UK councillors: four per-cent are non-white (as opposed to 7.9% of the general population); just under 70% are male (52% of the whole population are female); councillors are on average, twenty years older than average; just 0.3% of councillors are under 25; there are around 75 Labour Councillors under 30 in the UK; there are over 1600 Labour Councillors over 60.
It’s essential we encourage young, able and talented people from more diverse backgrounds to our local authorities and so it’s imperative we consider what will encourage these people to step forward. The commission came up with some good proposals including automatic entitlement to access the local government pension scheme, parachute payments equivalent to statutory redundancy pay and linked to time in office (for if/when you’re voted out) a national minimum basic allowance framework and nationwide 4-year term of office. These are a good start but until Labour groups really embrace the need for change and new blood in their ranks and linking this to a better connection with the communities around them, we are in danger of having a great debate with little tangible result to show for it.
The much-cited statistic regarding trust in politicians from the Electoral Commission’s political engagement audit of 2007 (71 per cent of those taking part responded ‘not very much’ or ‘not at all’) is as alarming as it is a useful reminder for what is at stake for the Party that really gets to grips with these issues and starts providing a national lead in implementing the best measures to combat such views locally.
Nationally voter turnout in local government elections is down to an average of 34 per cent and in London; below 30%. What we need is a recalibration of how we do local politics for the 21st century which reflects what we aspire for our local communities to be like.
More power to local communities is of course a good thing. But I think more and better decisions made locally will need both ‘better’ and increasingly full-time, democratically elected representatives to see them through to delivery. We also need more challenge for chief execs and their lead officers; the best authorities are those constantly questioning their services, best in touch with their communities and so the councils of the future with ever-more wide-ranging powers will in my view need even more of that challenge. I also believe this is an argument for longer terms, not just the four-year measure as standard across the Country which the commission recommends. Furthermore I’d make two-councillor wards the standard to pay for that increase in necessary full-time members.
The recommendations of the commission for specific targets on equality, money for political parties to invest specifically in recruiting and training potential candidates are all sensible and necessary and should be uniformly applied all over the UK but I’d add age as a crucial target to meet. I think adding an ‘under 30’ criterion to Labour’s local government selection procedures alongside BMAE and all-women lists would be a hugely positive move which really would be an investment into the future of our local administrations and into the communities they serve.
Matt Cooke is a Labour councillor in Haringey