2007 Local Elections "could be cancelled due to local government reform"
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  2007 Local Elections "could be cancelled due to local government reform"
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Author Topic: 2007 Local Elections "could be cancelled due to local government reform"  (Read 2136 times)
Filuwaúrdjan
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« on: February 08, 2006, 12:39:49 PM »

Very interesting...
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Filuwaúrdjan
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« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2006, 12:44:53 PM »

Just a reminder, but the current rumours are that it'll be some form of Unitary Authority everywhere, with the powers of Town/Civil Parish councils being increased.
Interestingly enough if the rumour of cancelled elections is correct, we might be seeing the boundaries of the current UA's being changed as well; could be the biggest shakeup since 1973.
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afleitch
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« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2006, 01:39:15 PM »

I wonder if FPTP will remain or they will dabble in PR Scotland style?
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Democratic Hawk
LucysBeau
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« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2006, 01:59:47 PM »

Yep, I've received a local Labour Party letter about that. Apparently, exisiting authorities would serve in some 'shadow' capacity until fresh unitary elections in 2008

Kind of puts the mockers on my own aspirations for now Wink

Dave
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afleitch
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« Reply #4 on: February 08, 2006, 02:55:19 PM »
« Edited: February 08, 2006, 03:12:40 PM by Governor Afleitch »

As long as they do not make the new UA's (particularly urban ones) too small. They need to learn from Scotlands mistake Tongue

Edit: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Local_Government_Act_1972

Text of the 1972 act, an interesting 'read'
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Rural Radical
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« Reply #5 on: February 08, 2006, 04:04:33 PM »

I think we have made a lot of mistakes in England with unitaries. Look at the mess that used to be Berkshire. Also In Shropshire we have both a County council and unitary authority that are too small in population to attract the big salary earners that the bigger authorities (Birmingham, London boroughs) can attract.

I would like to see arealignment to the old pre 1973 counties but in a unitary status.
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Peter
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« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2006, 10:48:27 PM »

If they so much as try this, I won't vote Labour for a decade.

Local democracy should not be cancelled on account of a reorganisation. Whilst the present system of local mismanagement is far from ideal, I cannot believe that any sensible changes would necessitate shutting elections down.
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Ben.
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« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2006, 06:11:12 AM »


If they so much as try this, I won't vote Labour for a decade.

Local democracy should not be cancelled on account of a reorganisation. Whilst the present system of local mismanagement is far from ideal, I cannot believe that any sensible changes would necessitate shutting elections down.


I agree… Is no one else even slightly worried by the thought that the government of the day is calling off elections?!?!? With Labour’s track record for governmental and constitutional reform it’ll be a decade before there are elections again!

It’s a very troubling development, but would parliament have to approve?   
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afleitch
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« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2006, 09:37:52 AM »

There would more than likely be uproar if Labour cancelled council elections. I also have the suspicion that they will do their best to not implement the new constituency boundaries until after the 2009/10 election.

While I agree that England needs local authority reform, I don't see why elections cannot be held in 2007. Okay it will cost money, but so what. You don't just cancel scheduled elections because they are seen as an incovenience. If anything, elections for new UA's should be held before they are established to allow a smooth transition. In Scotland, local elections took place in 1995 for the new unitary authorities, even though they did not come into effect until a year later.
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Democratic Hawk
LucysBeau
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« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2006, 10:00:38 AM »

I read on teletext that David Miliband has said that he expects the 2007 locals to go ahead as scheduled. So they should, I can't stomach this incompetent Lib Dem council of mine a minute longer. They didn't win it back in 2003, Labour lost it Sad. I can't say that they didn't deserve to

I'm gonna say something on these so-called 'neighbourhood councils'. They sound great but I'm concerned about their practicality

In our last Parish elections, Labour failed to even out up a full state of candidates (11) - I don't think councils at this level should be organised along party lines but that's my personal opinion. We had 7 to 3 Indepdents and a Resident (Tory). 11 candidates for 11 seats = no contested election

Today, I attended our AGM of the Residents Group and we are about to dissolve. Why? Because when we started around 30 people were committed and steadily that reduced to around 5. The few die-hards are so frustrated by the wider lack of community involvement - not to mention having to jump through hoop after hoop after hoop after hoop .... Roll Eyes to organise public events. Pepple just get heartily sick and what was once a joy has become a chore Sad

I seriously wonder if there will be enough folk prepared to engage themselves in neighbourhood affairs to make such councils effective

Rant over Grin

Dave
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Filuwaúrdjan
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« Reply #10 on: February 09, 2006, 10:29:33 AM »

So Miliband denies that this move is even being considered and the head of the LGA says that this is the first he's heard of the idea... the BBC hasn't said more about the people that "leaked" this than that they were "officials in the ODPM"... in other news, UK Gold continues to show Yes Minister reruns Wink

Might as well use this oppertunity to ask you all what sort of local government set up you'd like to see...
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Democratic Hawk
LucysBeau
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« Reply #11 on: February 09, 2006, 10:48:21 AM »


Might as well use this oppertunity to ask you all what sort of local government set up you'd like to see...

As to what is happening for sure, God-alone knows. I'm struggling to make sense of it all

If we're going to have major reorganisation then go the whole hog and have an English Parliament - subject to approval Smiley - with unitary local authorities and parishes. I'm sick of reading letters from folk bemoaning the fact that Scots, Welsh and Ulster MPs vote on "English" issues. So let's give them a chance decide whether they want an English Parliament ot not

Dave
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LucysBeau
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« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2006, 06:11:35 AM »

I agree… Is no one else even slightly worried by the thought that the government of the day is calling off elections?!?!? With Labour’s track record for governmental and constitutional reform it’ll be a decade before there are elections again!


Ben, if this all goes ahead, I'd guess that 2007 would see the elections of shadow authorities

I agree, since 1997, Labour has made a bit a mish-mash on consitutional reform. This is how I think it should have been addressed.

Labour announce it loud and clear in their manifesto that if elected government, regional government would be established uniformly across the UK, which would mean a Scottish Parliament, a Welsh Assembly and spatially-defined regional assemblies for England. These would not be subject to referenda. Unitary local authorities would then established throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The House of Lords, meanwhile, would become an elected-upper chamber

All this could have been done and dusted in the 1997-2001 parliament. But no, they clarted on doing things piecemeal touting the idea of holding referendums for regional government and elected Mayor's. A waste of time Roll Eyes

They should have done it all anyway. When the Conservatives back in 1983 proposed abolishing the GLC and the mets, they put it loud and clear in their manifesto and went along and did it. Labour should have done the same with regional government and elected Mayors

Dave
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