Something of a rant but with the serious point that elected people, especially councillors, are the way we hold the unelected people to account:
But far from us needing fewer politicians, we need more. Rather than taking the decision-making further away from ordinary residents with unitary councils, regional mayors, and combined authorities, we should, as Conservatives, be wanting to get more decisions made right down in the communities where those ordinary residents live, by people they know and can speak with. Right now, our system of local democracy doesn’t function well, and the lack of real accountability is a big reason for this.Whole piece on the always excellent Conservative Home.
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1 comment:
I tend to disagree on this, local councillors have proven very easy for the blob / enviroloonies etc to capture.
The cures are
a) The local councillors must raise through local taxation all the funds required for the latest "something must be done"
b) Local referenda, as proven in Switzerland, they have the best track record at keeping decisions local.
Councillors often become gatekeepers co-opted into defending the local authority decisions from the paying populace, the key is to remove the gatekeepers.
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