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Communities and neighbourhoods

Empowerment, the White Paper, and the Councillors Commission

Date of speech	15 May 2008
Location	Congress Centre, London
Event summary	Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) Conference: 'Power to the People'.

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Draft text of the speech - may differ from the delivered version.

First of all, thank you to the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) for hosting this debate: I've been familiar with your work for 20 years and it's a pleasure to see you going from strength to strength.

You have brought together an audience with a crucial contribution to make at what I believe is an important moment for our local democracy.

If you want an illustration of how much the landscape has changed in twenty years, just look at the LGiU's origins.

The Local Government Campaigns Unit was born to oppose the then Government's policies.

It was a time when the town hall was low in morale and starved of resource, when central and local government were at loggerheads.

I'm not suggesting that we are living today in perfect harmony.

But we have seen local government come of age. Confident about what it can deliver, ambitious for the people it serves.

The Audit Commission results for 2007 showed 83 per cent of councils awarded 3 or 4 stars, and none - for the second year running - rated zero-star.

The 2006 White Paper recognised the progress of recent years. It set out steps to give local government more room to deliver.

Today, we've got the Local Government Act passed into law. We've delivered a slimmed-down indicator set. And we've freed £5bn of funding from ring-fencing and other restrictions.

With new-style Local Area Agreements poised to come into force, there is huge momentum to deliver on the White Paper's promise.

The challenge now is for town halls to respond.

Many are doing just that. I'm encouraged by the emerging shape of most new LAAs, by the vision they display.

And the concordat, signed at the end of last year, pointed the way for a mature relationship between central and local to grow stronger still.

But for all that progress, there is unfinished business. Look at the statistics.

Too few people - just 38 per cent - feel they can influence decision in their local areas.

Too many choose to stay at home on local election day. Even in London on 1 May with blanket media coverage and high-profile campaigns, 55 per cent of Londoners didn't vote at all.

And while satisfaction with most individual council services has increased in recent years, overall satisfaction with councils - at the last count - actually went down: all of which suggests that people feel somehow disconnected.

That is why I believe we require a fundamental shift in the way that government and political systems operate.

"When people ask - how can I get involved in my community?  Where can I get information about local issues that matter to me? How can I have my say on them? The White Paper aims to provide the answer."

It shouldn't be about paying out power from the centre, bit by bit, ready to rein in the slack when it suits.

Instead, we need to put much greater trust in people to shape their own lives.

Not just because it is - as I believe - the right thing to do.

But because it is how we make public services respond to people's individual needs.

It is how we can reconnect people with local democracy.

And effective participation is a crucial part of building strong communities. Across the country people have proved time and again that when they have the right opportunities, skills and support to come together and find their own solutions, there is nothing inevitable about poverty, crime or anti-social behaviour; no neighbourhood that is beyond renewal.

So we are poised to produce a landmark Empowerment White Paper later this summer.

Its aim is to invigorate and celebrate every aspect of local democracy, from the community group to the council committee, from the street to the debating chamber.

It is part and parcel of a wider drive across the whole of Government to make vital services more locally responsive and more locally accountable - housing, police, schools and hospitals.

As the Prime Minister set out in yesterday's statement on the Government's draft legislative programme, we will bring forward legislation that transfers more power and resources direct to parents, patients and citizens.

And at this watershed moment, casting off the centralising approach of successive government, we are drawing on the huge range of excellent work already being done in town halls across the country, and the thoughts of partners such as the LGiU.

We are learning from techniques ranging from participatory budgeting in Newcastle, to local forums in Camden, to asset transfer in Northumbria.

When people ask - how can I get involved in my community?  Where can I get information about local issues that matter to me? How can I have my say on them? The White Paper aims to provide the answer.

Take, for example, petitions. We are one of the biggest petition writers in Europe. Many local authorities respond positively to people's concerns - whether it's traffic management, youth services or anti-social behaviour - and even if they choose not to change their policy, they at least give an explanation of their decision. But too many people who sign a petition and aren't even sure if it ever gets looked at, let alone acted on.

That is why we are minded to introduce new powers in a Community Empowerment Bill that will harness 'petition power'. They would enable local people to trigger action and influence decisions in three main ways.

First, they could use petitions to back up a local call for participatory budgeting - asking for a say in budgets covering everything from the environment to housing, so that spending truly reflects their priorities.

Second, they could use petitions to back up a local call for asset transfer: so that where there is an underused or ailing community centre, local people can request to take it under their wing and make it into the pride of the neighbourhood again.

And third - they could use petitions to put items onto the council's agenda, triggering a debate on issues they want to shine a light on - whether it's drug dealing on local estates, or schools in difficulty.

These provisions, as well as many other ways of putting communities in control, will be developed more fully in the White Paper.

But let me make clear that we haven't closed the book. We are still open to considering new ideas that can help put empowerment into practice.

But while I don't think we have arrived at all the answers yet, I think we know more clearly than ever the issues and challenges around getting this right.

One recurring theme is that devolution puts a premium on strong, clear leadership.

And I want to take a moment to explore this in detail with an audience that comprises such a wealth of experience.

I don't buy the argument that participative and representative democracy are in conflict. In fact I think they reinforce each other.

Without a visible, accountable person or people to balance the priorities of different groups and take tough decisions, you can't have effective governance.

But equally without those grassroots voices being heard, you don't have a chance of providing services that meet people's needs. Worse still, you leave people feeling shut out of the system, less likely to be satisfied, less likely to want to give of themselves as volunteers or local activists.

So as we enhance the opportunities for ordinary people to get involved, we also want to nurture a new generation of leaders able to understand and connect. And we want to ensure they have the right support.

That's why I think the report from the Councillors Commission, chaired by Jane Roberts, was so important.

It gave Government a set of inventive, challenging recommendations on how to boost local councillors - whose role will only become more important, not less, in years to come.

We will be outlining our full response to the Commission in the White Paper.

But it should come as no surprise that there is much in the report that I welcome. I know this audience will agree that our councillors should be proud of the work they do, not reticent. Displayed clearly on the council website, not tucked away.  And I'm interested in exploring the pros and cons of a statutory duty on councils to promote local democracy and the role of councillor.

I also agree that councillors need better support to balance their elected responsibilities with other commitments. Take, for example, the fact that many employers simply don't understand what councillors do, or how the skills developed in the role could be invaluable back in the workplace.

That is why I think it's important to provide employers with easily accessible information on these issues - perhaps in the form of a pack.  And I also want to think further about what we can do to recognise the employers who already do a good job of supporting staff who want to do their bit for the community as councillors, magistrates or in other roles.

Like the Commission, I am also concerned about the under-representation of women, young people, and ethnic minorities.

Not just because elected bodies need to be able to connect with the people they serve, but because councils deserve the most talented and skilful, no matter what their background.

The biggest onus to get this right should surely be on political parties.

But I believe councils can also encourage more people to consider getting involved by making themselves open, accessible and relevant. We shouldn't overlook the potential of techniques such as internships with councils, for example, that can inspire tomorrow's fresh candidates. That's why I warmly welcome the fact that one of the proposals for the National Institute of Youth Leadership is to consider developing an internship programme.

There are other recommendations in the report that - while we haven't come to final decisions - don't convince me.

The idea of reserve candidates or term limits don't seem very democratic.

Surely it should be up to local people how long they want their councillors to serve, or who exactly they are putting in office.

"With your participation we can achieve the kind of local devolution that puts people in control of their own future, encourages active citizenship, and helps make every neighbourhood a better place to live."

And finally there are other recommendations in the report where I want to hear your views before we make up our minds.

I'm all for the idea that we have to make it easier for councillors to work in the modern world. Why shouldn't a councillor, like any other businessman or woman, be able to teleconference to meetings from time to time? It might make it that bit more practical for councillors who live in rural areas, who have caring responsibilities, or who have paid work far from the council chamber.

But of course we need to think about the right safeguards. About how we could ensure that teleconferencing wouldn't make it harder for the public to access what goes on in the chamber and how decisions are made. So I'm interested to hear your views.

Equally your experience will be invaluable as we think about delegated functions. Last year's Local Government Act makes it possible for councils to devolve powers and responsibility for delivery to individual ward councillors. It increases transparency - so people know who to turn to get things done. It increases responsiveness - with an effective way to deal with local problems. Now we need to work out how the provisions will pan out in practice. What are local authorities thinking of delegating? What powers would you want to exercise for your ward as a councillor?

Lastly, how can we make the most of the expertise of those people who have served the community for years? Some councils appoint their ex-members as Aldermen. Or, indeed, Alderwomen. I want to look at the other ways we can recognise their service and draw on their wisdom, perhaps as mentors, or as ambassadors for local democracy.

We are a matter of weeks away from the White Paper's publication.

But it is not too late for you to have your say - on the question of councillors, and the whole range of other issues that the White Paper will consider.

This is a chance to carry on the important change started by the 'local vision' debate all those months ago.

With your participation we can achieve the kind of local devolution that puts people in control of their own future, encourages active citizenship, and helps make every neighbourhood a better place to live.

It is a real opportunity and I hope you will help us make the most of it.