Is democracy in good health following the May elections?
One thing that struck me was the defeat of the likeable Jamie Driscoll, formerly Labour's North of Tyne mayor and latterly an independent after being purged by Sir Keir. Driscoll stood and lost to Labour in the first election for the much bigger position of North East Mayor. This covers Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham.
What's interesting about this exercise in devolved power is that it looks remarkably similar to one rejected previously by the electorate. Katie Balls wrote in the 20 April issue of The Spectator:
"Metro mayors were created in 2017, not necessarily by popular demand. In fact, Newcastle, Sunderland and Gateshead all rejected mayors. They're now getting what no one really asked for: a single elected figure to cover all their areas, along with North and South Tyneside. The new North East Mayoral Combined Authority arrives 20 years after the idea of a devolved assembly for the north-east was rejected by voters by a three-to-one margin. The new authority was created in a direct deal with the councils: this time the public was not consulted."
There is of course a pattern here. Back in 2012, Prime Minister David Cameron wanted to see Mayors replacing council cabinets across the country. That was until nine cities voted no - Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Wakefield, Coventry, Leeds and Bradford. These election results were in many ways a mere hiccup - by 2017 Manchester had an elected Mayor anyway. Birmingham went even bigger with a Mayor for the whole West Midlands, and Newcastle, as outlined above, is now stuck in a very similar regional structure.
One of the things which should interest us more in politics is how things happen without anyone directly voting for it, or even being fully aware it is happening until it happens. I would much prefer to see, wherever possible, power devolved to as local a level as it can be. That gives the public more connection with those who are running things. Better Corby council, than North Northamptonshire. Better North Northamptonshire than Northamptonshire. And better Northamptonshire than any future East Midlands combined authority of Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, Leicestershire and whoever else.
Now - how do I vote for that?
Comments