This blog is here to explore the concept of a more inclusive means of forming policy at a local level. So let me offer you two examples of the kind of people that we need to include in such processes. Our first case in point – let’s call her Mrs Meldrew (though it’s not really [...]
Posts under ‘Political parties’
Two party systems
There’s a very good article over at Westminster Wisdom about the longevity of the US two-party system – a dominance of only two largely unchanged political parties since 1860 – “a record unmatched by any other Democracy.” A comparison with the UK, in which the period from 1945 until the late 1960s marked a fairly [...]
Escape End
Time for one last look at the Conservative party’s local government green paper Shift Control. A quick canter through chapters four and five, and then some conclusions. Chapter Four is about spending. It says a Conservative Government will: give local people greater control over how central government funds are spent in their area; phase out [...]
Home PgDn
Time for a look at Chapter three of the Conservative local government green paper, Shift Control. This chapter is the section of the green paper that focuses on democracy, so there’s a lot to talk about. The chapter says that a Conservative Government would: provide citizens in all our large cities with the opportunity to [...]
SysRq F12
Part three of a series of articles looking at the Conservative local government green paper, Shift Control. This time, chapter two. This chapter is about localism, and promises that a Conservative Government would: give local residents the power to determine the balance between the level of council tax and the level of services delivered; drastically [...]
Command Backspace
Part two of a series of articles on the Conservative green paper on local government, which are also appearing on the Democratic Society blog. Section one of the green paper discusses local housing and economic growth. The Conservatives’ proposals are: enable local authorities to benefit financially when they deliver the housing that local people need; [...]
A defence of political parties: Part 1
I’d like to write a series of posts here in defence of the political Party system. I’m conscious that this is not an elegant or fashionable position to take, and it’s certainly not one of those lines that you can defend in the 140 character Twitter template. I’d go further: It takes a series of [...]
Shift Delete
Local decision-making should be less constrained by central government, and also more accountable to local people. We will encourage democratic innovations in local government, including pilots of the idea of elected mayors with executive powers in cities. David Cameron’s green paper Shift Control, published yesterday? No, the 1997 Labour manifesto, and if you want a [...]
Do we need political parties? (A prelude).
I’ve got a half-written post in the drafts folder on this subject – it’s not ready to see the light of day yet. But looking at a post on the blog of Tom Harris MP about the need for political parties, I can’t resist recalling the late great Bernard Crick’s favourite Goebbells quote: “Political parties [...]
