The Electoral Reform Society (ERS) have called time on the ‘undemocratic anomaly’ of devolution in England in a major new report addressing the democratic deficit in English local government.
The report Democracy Made in England - Where Next for English Local Government? sets out a number of proposals for devolution of powers.
It outlines the principles and values that should underpin any devolution plans to put citizens, not Westminster, at the heart of decision-making on how communities are governed.
The ERS has also set out a series of concrete reforms, including:
- Calling for a clear framework for devolving power to local authorities.
- Reforming English local government elections with proportional representation.
- The creation of an elected House of Lords with representation from all nations, regions and localities of the UK.
In a survey of almost 800 local representatives from across England, conducted as part of the research for Democracy Made in England, the ERS found growing support for moving the balance of power away from Westminster and to communities across the country.
The survey revealed that over two thirds (68%) of local councillors in England feel they do not have sufficient powers to represent the needs of their communities.
A total of 65% believe local people should be more involved in decision-making, while 70% called for decisions to be made in partnership between national and local levels and be implemented locally.
The ERS are calling for political parties to back new proposals for an overhaul of local government in England, with a plan for ‘genuine’ and ‘democratic’ devolution underpinned by principles and values that put communities, not Westminster, in the driving seat.
They said that England is one of the most centralised countries in Europe, as measured by the local control of resources and the overdependence on Whitehall decision-making.
ERS’s report comes just weeks after the launch of the government’s Levelling Up White Paper, which includes devolution and empowering local leaders and communities as one of its 12 missions for levelling up left behind areas.
ERS argue that existing approaches to devolution and local government reform have been too focussed on economic factors and efficiency.
They are calling for a new approach focused on democracy and empowerment and guided by a clear set of principles and values that respect the democratic importance of local government and the vital role played by citizens themselves.
Commenting, Director of Policy and Research at the Electoral Reform Society, Dr Jess Garland said:
“England remains one of the most centralised nations in Europe. While the centres of power in the rest of the UK have shifted away from Westminster over the last two decades, for England these changes have been limited.
“Too often any transfer of decision-making powers has come as an afterthought, little has been done to genuinely empower local government or the communities in which people live.
“This report begins to set out how a new relationship between national and local government can be created.
“It cannot be left for Westminster to decide how local communities should see themselves and how they should be governed, but to set out how those communities can choose their own governance, how citizens can themselves reinvigorate local democracy.
“Now is the time to rebuild our local democracy but, to do that, England can no longer be an afterthought.”
Author of the report and Research and Policy Officer at the ERS, Michela Palese added:
“Devolution is a journey. There is no single path that local areas in England can or should take to achieve it.
“As we saw during the pandemic, it is our local councils that are on the frontline of so many of the issues that face our communities, yet, as we've found, too often our local representatives find themselves powerless in the face of Westminster's centralising control.
“We must give areas real power and autonomy from the centre to ensure that people themselves, whether local representatives or citizens, are brought back into the process and have the opportunity to make their own decisions.
“England needs to rediscover genuine local self-government, with democracy, representation and place at its heart, we need political leadership and commitment to deliver true democracy for England.”
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