2007 Local Elections "could be cancelled due to local government reform"

[Democratic Hawk]

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

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

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 . 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 .... to organise public events. Pepple just get heartily sick and what was once a joy has become a chore

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

Rant over

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

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 - 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

[Democratic Hawk]

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

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