For those of us who would like local politics to be more highly valued, two slightly conflicting observations were made by prominent political bloggers last weekend.
The first was by the ever-perceptive Potlatch writing about James Purnell, and digging into the question of ‘professionalisation’ of politics:
“Purnell – like Ruth Kelly and Ed Balls – ticks both [...]
Posts under ‘Councillors’
Centralisation: A turning point?
OpenlyLocal
If you get a moment, pop over to OpenlyLocal and have a look around, will you?
It’s a very good start – showing how all of the investment in data standards is beginning to find it’s own tipping point.
It is beginning to be possible for more of us to get really useful comparative data on local [...]
Councillors and the snow
Here’ Dan Drillsma-Milgrom of the LGC on how Councillors should respond to the heavy snow that we’re seeing in the UK at the moment:
“For those who know to look for it, Camden has an easy to use section of its website that directs residents to the nearest sand grit bins and shows the gritting routes. [...]
A few words on governance
Local government governance guru Peter Keith-Lucas has
an article in this week’s Local Government Lawyer assessing the current state of governance in local councils.
It’s a good read – expert but not too technical. Keith-Lucas has plagues to put on the houses of both parties: the Labour party for watering down the proper role of scrutiny [...]
Open minds – the councillor-curator?
Kevin Harris has forwarded this article about the role that councillors are obliged to adopt in relation to planning.
Nothing in it will come as a surprise to anyone familliar with the role of a modern councillor, but it’s a nice round up of an issue that will continue to perplex anyone with an interest in [...]
Facebook for Councillors
Speaking to some Councillors in Kent today, I found myself answering a few questions about Facebook ‘dos-and-don’ts’ – I mentioned that there was bound to be something from the many social media practitioners that have written on the subject, and that a quick Google would turn up a handy etiquette guide.
Looking around, however, there doesn’t appear [...]
Cllr Smith, MP
In France, the Socialist party want to reform the practice known as cumul des mandats, where an MP or Senator also holds elected office at local level in his home town. The argument is that wearing two hats in that way distracts national level politicians from their main jobs, and promotes cronyism and pork-barrel spending [...]
Who will cover the cost of ’scrutiny’?
Anthony has beat me to a response to the new Green Paper today, so I thought I’d develop his scepticism about the appetite for ’scrutiny’.
For me, the interesting question is – as ever – around the whole notion of representation.
Town Hall Matters has lighted on this question and that post returns to a theme that [...]
Transparency – sticking plaster or panacea?
MySociety’s Tom Steinberg has, for some years, been urging government to adapt some of the lessons that successful websites have learned.
Here he is, writing one of the Reboot Britain essays serialised in The Independent.
“….most people are …familiar with Amazon’s ability to tell you that “people who bought this also bought that”, and increasingly “people who [...]
Should MPs and councillors take up cases on behalf of individuals?
Chewing over Parliamentary reforms, here’s Jenni Russell from the Guardian last week:
“One experienced Commons civil servant is blisteringly critical of the way in which most MPs have accepted the culture in which they now operate. While some committees and chairs are excellent, many MPs can’t be bothered. “They’re just not interested in the core tasks [...]
A blog about representative democracy, social media and a conversational politics. How will peer-to-peer communications change local democracy? How is representation changing? 
