IN 2006 the Government published a White Paper on local government.
It was called "Strong and Prosperous Communities", which rather misses the point but I'll let that go for the moment.
It included the dismal statistics that councillors are not very representative of the communities they represent, and it's getting worse.
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The average age of councillors is over 58 years, three years older than ten years ago.
Even worse, over the past 20 years the number of councillors under 45 has halved from 26 per cent to 13 per cent.
The number of women is going up but it's still less than one in three and the number of ethnic minority councillors is half what it would be if it were proportional to the population.
Okay, that's enough statistics for now, and I do think some of us "oldies" still have something to offer - but I would say that wouldn't I?
A former council leader from London called Dame Jane Roberts was roped in to chair an inquiry of councillors and experts, and they published their report before Christmas.
So, curious as ever to know what the Government would make of it, I tabled a question last week.
I had to declare an interest as a sitting councillor as I "begged leave to ask the question standing in my name on the order paper".
So I stuck my tongue firmly in my cheek and said "My Lords, I declare an interest as an old, white, middle-class, male councillor".
The 61 recommendations in the report consist of a few good ideas, a lot of humdrum stuff that isn't going to change much, and a list of silly gimmicks.
It all comes back to the White Paper and its point-missing title.
As I asked the Minister, "Is it not the case that if the Government want to get a more diverse range of people actively involved on councils they ought to return to local authorities the powers and status that they had 30 years ago?"
And within local authorities, should they not return to councillors the powers, and status that they had 10 years ago?
Of course the Minister said that's what the Government is doing.
But as with so many things they are, I fear, in denial.
The Noble Lord doth pose a good question:
we need to make councillors more representtaive.
But representative of whom?
One of greatest tragedies to befall our political system at loacl level is the demise of the independent councillor. In short politics has been captured by the parties. They are now part of the problem, not the solution.
Our political system is in decay and existing politicians have absolutely no clue what to do. How can they when they are part of the problem?
The Noble Lord doth pose a good question:
we need to make councillors more representtaive.
But representative of whom?
One of greatest tragedies to befall our political system at loacl level is the demise of the independent councillor. In short politics has been captured by the parties. They are now part of the problem, not the solution.
Our political system is in decay and existing politicians have absolutely no clue what to do. How can they when they are part of the problem?
Posted by: Marcus, down south on 11:33am Wed 13 Feb 08
Councils and councillors may have plenty of faults........but for a member of a house of lords to whinge about another section of the state apparatus to be unrepresentative....
.well, that's the pot calling the kettle black, clearly.
Councils and councillors may have plenty of faults........but for a member of a house of lords to whinge about another section of the state apparatus to be unrepresentative....
.well, that's the pot calling the kettle black, clearly.
Lord Greaves ..needs to lead by example..He is coining it from mega expenses from the Lords and Pendle Council. May be he should give up his seat on the council in May and put an ethnic minority to vfight Waterside as a Liberal.??
Not a chance because all he says is just spin..
Greaves - be a man and put your rhetoric to action for once- resign from London or Colne
Lord Greaves ..needs to lead by example..He is coining it from mega expenses from the Lords and Pendle Council. May be he should give up his seat on the council in May and put an ethnic minority to vfight Waterside as a Liberal.??
Not a chance because all he says is just spin..
Greaves - be a man and put your rhetoric to action for once- resign from London or Colne
Greaves is a hypocrite. He obviously loves the media attention. He is a bully boy and enjoys forcing his doctrine to his fellow Lib-Dem colleagues. Former Lib Dem Councillor for Whitefield (Mahboob Ahmed). Now a member of Conservatives!!!
Greaves is a hypocrite. He obviously loves the media attention. He is a bully boy and enjoys forcing his doctrine to his fellow Lib-Dem colleagues. Former Lib Dem Councillor for Whitefield (Mahboob Ahmed). Now a member of Conservatives!!!
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