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To achieve the objective of engaging residents in the policy making processes of local government will require an interface which is intuitive and attractive. In addition, perhaps some incentives above and beyond the current invitations to note necessary repairs /missed bin collection, etc.
To date, efforts to make Council deliberations widely available — for example, live-streaming Council meetings — are doubtless well intended; but, they are well short of what is possible.
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Originally Posted by sandGroundZero
The distinction is: • choosing one Councillor per ward randomly from among eligible voters, versus
• the current, familiar style of election from among nominated candidates. As we know, candidates not affiliated to a party are disadvantaged and rare.
It is worth emphasizing, the objectives are:- to engage voters in local government;
- to greatly improve the effectiveness and democratic accountability of Councils; with a view to
- decentralization of many government functions to local decision makers; that is, citizens /residents /voters.
To be clear, sortition as a means of selecting one third of Sefton Council seems to be a feasible first step in achieving point iii above.
Given a little thought, it is possible to conceive of other, perhaps better, ways to achieve that goal.
Nevertheless a mixed — sortition plus elected Councillors — proposal is comparatively modest, easy to understand first step.
Picking people at random wouldn't work, how would you get them to even turn up never mind say something or God forbid actually do something?
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…consider how well the current Council arrangements are viewed
Picking people at random wouldn't work, how would you get them to even turn up never mind say something or God forbid actually do something? — post #18
You underestimate the potential for civic-mindedness. Need I say, all randomly selected Councillors' participation would be by their understanding of what is being asked of them and their agreement thereto.
It may be appropriate to select one or two additional people from each ward to act as alternates. Or, two individuals could job share. There are many answers to your objection.
One third of Councillors selected by lot would be entitled to expect appropriate resources at their disposal. Indeed, I envisage creating an interface to the workings of the Council which would be available to all residents.
In brief, Councillors by lot is just the visible tip of changes necessary to make the Council accessible and responsive to all residents.
Finally, let's not forget that the current arrangements are held in very low esteem by voters. You only need to read forum and news page comments to see that that is so.
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Dukes ward Cllr. Dr. John Pugh has revealed "a report from officers to councillors" outlining both a loss owing to reduced commercial valuation and in revenue from the "high risk venture" as Cllr. Pugh describes it. The 1960s vintage New Strand Shopping Centre acquired by the Council in 2017 has been a bete noire of Cllr. Pugh's.
What can we discern about the current workings of local government? - It is highly 'party ' political; and
- most Councillors devote such efforts as they make to whistling into the wind .
At the very least, inserting one third randomly selected voters into the Council will compel a different mindset among elected Councillors.
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You have to wonder why someone would strangle so many fonts to post and reply to themselves at such length.
Narcissist ?
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Cllr. Tony Brough | Cllr. Dr. John Pugh | Cllr. Ian Maher
The Three Amigos?
Ed Davey | Boris Johnson | Keir Starmer
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Five of Sefton's current Councillors the 'independent group' excepted, our Councillors are Labour, Liberal Democrat or Conservative. They arrive at the Council with their political preferences honed by association with their respective parties.
The long tradition of nationally organized parties in local government tends to obstruct consideration that things could be otherwise. The quibbling and contention along party lines, particularly so when elections loom, surely deters objective consideration of policies.
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Interesting turn of events in neighbouring Liverpool
The Labour Politburo has apparently intruded itself into the upcoming election for Liverpool's Mayor.
Labour Councillors are threatening to …scrap role of mayor … in protest.
What next?
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Elected Councillors should have no political affiliation and simply act in the best interests of their constituents. They should not form or vote in groups, no one should have control of the Council. They are supposed to be our representatives and yet they (mostly) represent the interests of their political party of choice. This is unacceptable.
The only Councillor I'm aware of around Southport who, despite having a political affiliation, always acts in her constituents' best interests is Lynne Thompson. She works her socks off for the people of Ainsdale. The other Councillors around Sefton could and should learn a lot from her.
I'm only happy when it rains....
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…working their socks off?
The only Councillor I'm aware of around Southport who, despite having a political affiliation, always acts in her constituents' best interests is Lynne Thompson. She works her socks off for the people of Ainsdale. The other Councillors around Sefton could and should learn a lot from her. — post #25
In fairness to other Councillors, there are probably a few for whom their respective ward residents notice their busyness. The question is: Busy doing what?
The Liberal (Liberal-Social Democratic Alliance /Liberal Democrat) party as the perennial third party nationally devised and refined the electoral strategy of campaigning on perceived local gripes to sustain a local presence. The strategy has been so successful that the other parties have adopted it. Witness this every week as our MP Damien Moore sticks his oar in strictly local issues outside his baileiwick to raise not only his own profile, but also that of Conservative colleagues.
With local elections in May, candidates have been trumpeting issues which they believe to be emotive and whether those issues are key matters that voters should be most concerned about, or more likely NOT!
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Originally Posted by Chris R
No one is taking you on Sandgroundzero
Well spotted .?
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Assessing England’s 2021-22 Local Government Finance Settlement
The Institute for Fiscal Studies' briefing note titled:
…reports some of the difficulties ahead for Councils.
Central government's projections assume Council Tax rates to rise, typically by up to the 5% limit above which a local referendum is mandated. Council Tax is skewed such that in poorer Council districts, where house prices are lower vis-à-vis prosperous Council areas, receipts are lower. In addition, Council Tax notoriously disproportionately impacts poorer households.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer in his upcoming budget pulls all the levers. The scope for revenue raising at local level is strictly limited. Far from levelling-up, Whitehall is the prime cause of regional and local inequities.
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…votes in division?
Cllr. Pugh, leader of the LibDem group, reiterates his contention that Sefton Council's acquisition of commercial property at the heart of Bootle was a gamble that failed.
It does appear that acquiring particularly retail property in 2017 was an ill-judged investment. Having said that, I seem to recall Cllr. Pugh suggesting that Sefton invest in Southport's currently vacant retail premises; he is certainly vehement that the vitality of Lord Street is essential to Southport's future prospects.
Regrettably, the fact that Liberal Democrat Councillors are from wards in the north of Sefton while the ruling Labour group is strong in the south of the Borough prompts the former group to attempt to make division within Sefton a vote-winning tactic.
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Originally Posted by sandGroundZero
The distinction is:• choosing one Councillor per ward randomly from among eligible voters, versus
• the current, familiar style of election from among nominated candidates. As we know, candidates not affiliated to a party are disadvantaged and rare.
It is worth emphasizing, the objectives are:
- to engage voters in local government;
- to greatly improve the effectiveness and democratic accountability of Councils; with a view to
- decentralization of many government functions to local decision makers; that is, citizens /residents /voters.
To be clear, sortition as a means of selecting one third of Sefton Council seems to be a feasible first step in achieving point iii above.
Given a little thought, it is possible to conceive of other, perhaps better, ways to achieve that goal.
Nevertheless a mixed — sortition plus elected Councillors — proposal is comparatively modest, easy to understand first step.
I agree that Council members, particularly Council leaders should be elected from the private sector as well as the public sector - to prevent the situation that we are in today. Public service people have far too narrow a view on everyday life because they have, mostly, remained in the one institution for many years. The present situation requires excellent management skills - while those engaged in institution, are used to following instructions.
A one time councillors were volunteer workers, mostly from various businesses in the local area. It was in their interests to work with and among local people and to take advantage of local opportunity to raise funding. i.e Fetes, Carnivals, Shows etc., When these positions involved being paid for duties carried out, candidates saw the opportunity of self improvement. The situation was that anyone wishing to promote him/her self as opposed to having sympathy with any area - would move to wherever there was a vacancy in this particular duty. Interest in local affairs disappeared.
Councillors should be chosen from local areas where people know them personally - instead of people having to choose one person from a ready made list, whom they know nothing about whatever. All those working in the local Council, Councillors etc. should be far more accountable to the general public.
Sefton Council has been given far too much responsibility. It is impossible for this council to manage all the areas under its umbrella efficiently - leading to some areas being given favoured attention while disregarding others. The Council should be split into sub-councils, with each sub-council being given the responsibility of its own area and accountable to the main council only on issues concerning central government.
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The legacy of Joseph Chamberlain
During his three-year spell as Mayor of Birmingham in the 1870s, and prior to his elevation to the Commons, Joseph Chamberlain created a framework for municipal government which survived intact into the later years of the 20th Century. How is Joe’s legacy shaping up ?
What drove Chamberlain’s vision was a rejection of the old ‘economist’ model of local government, one of low rates and even lower expenditure. If councils were to provide the range of services a growing electorate demanded – libraries and baths, schools and parks – then the economics needed to be re-configured.
By taking into municipal ownership the public utilities, and then running them at a profit, Birmingham’s reputation for sound finances allowed the city to borrow yet more, and thereby to create the raft of services we associate with local government. They called it gas-and-water socialism; Sir Albert Bore described it more accurately as ‘municipal capitalism’.
All of this was only possible because of the relative economic independence of the Victorian city state, which raised its own revenues and directed them where it wished. As Professor Peter Marsh pointed out in his key-note address, Chamberlain’s background and training as an industrialist was crucial to the way he turned Birmingham into a kind of ‘municipal company’.
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The City of Birmingham in the 19th century became a model of municipal activism at a time when parliament and central government struggled with the socioeconomic plight of Britain's industrial working class.
Need we return to Victorian social conditions before we appreciate the proper role for local vis-à-vis central government?
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