Report calls for further devolution of powers to local government

Over two thirds of local councillors in England feel they do not have sufficient powers to represent the needs of their communities, according to new research from the Electoral Reform Society (ERS).

Following the release of the Levelling Up White Paper, the Electoral Reform Society has published a new report with the aim of addressing a ‘democratic deficit’ in English local government.

The research also found that 65% of councillors believe local people should be more involved in decision making.

The survey of almost 800 local representatives from across England found growing support for moving the balance of power away from Westminster to communities across the country.

The Society argue that existing approaches to devolution and local government reform have been too focussed on economic factors and efficiency and 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.

Dr Jess Garland, Director of Policy and Research at the Electoral Reform Society, 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.’

Michela Palese, Research and Policy Officer at the Electoral Reform Society, who authored the report said: ‘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 front line 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.’

Photo by Kai Bossom