The Conservatives have given up all pretence that the local and European Parliament elections are about local government or Europe. Instead, they are campaigning on Gordon Brown, the NHS and the fiscal position, none of which are in the control of local government or Europe. Here’s David Cameron (quoted on the BBC): With every Conservative [...]
Posts under ‘Uncategorized’
You need to learn how to use your computer
If you read this blog, you must know a few influential people? Maybe they’ve been elected, or have some official role that is, in reality, more powerful than someone who has been elected? Would they be the sort of person who would get someone else to do anything vaguely complicated with a PC? Do they [...]
Jack Dee on local newspapers
It’s Friday: “You can see the beating heart of a community by looking at the local newspaper.”
Causes of centralisation (Continued): The 'level playing field'
This is turning into a series – I hope you can indulge me? In my most recent post here, I outlined the view that political parties have the potential to work against the general tendency towards the centralisation of government, that their decline mirrored an increasing centralisation, and that anyone who wanted to reverse this [...]
Audit of Political Engagement : Duty to Involve
The Hansard Society published its latest Audit of Political Engagement on April 1st. Makes for a fascinating read considering how much energy has gone into meeting NI4. (NI4: National Indicator4 is a benchmark by which local authorities are judged on how empowered people feel at a local level.) I have highlighted some of the most [...]
And the winners are…..
Given the recent news stories about the Home Secretary’s husband buying porn on the rates, and Tony McNulty’s complicated housing arrangements, it’s worth getting the whole debate in perspective. Firstly, Iain Dale thinks it’s about as serious as things can get from the point of view of the reputation of politics. Last year, a couple [...]
Director of Digital Engagement
Well, the Power of Information Taskforce appears to have reached it’s conclusions. The job has been advertised. Dominic Campbell has a few very perceptive bits of advice for whoever the successful candidate may be. This phrase leaps out of the job ad: ” …the job requires someone who would be acknowledged by their peer group [...]
Listening leadership
Ingrid at IDeA has a post on whether digital inclusion increases social inclusion. Near the end of it, she says: There’s little point in encouraging people, especially people who already feel outside the sytem, to get online and get civically active if there’s no direct plug-in to local government service and policy-formation. Officers and councillors [...]
Friday post
The Daily Mash sums up a week in Local Government quite nicely. NB: If you don’t like profanity, don’t click that link.
The dialogic part of the common human inheritance
If you’ve ever doubted that democracy is about more than just voting, this is worth a look. A few years ago, the Nobel-winnng economist Amartya Sen penned a fantastic article in the Wall Street Journal (reprising a theme that he had been touting around for some time) that offered an alternative view. I point to [...]
