Last week Citizen Cameron failed to reduce the number of MP’s from 650 to 600, with the proposed reform of the parliamentary boundaries Wales would have seen a reduction of 25% of its MP’s (10 out of 40). Incidentally the figure of 40 MP’s was merely historically plucked out of the air. A number of Labour’s in Wales’s elected representatives would have been culled, hence the loud and persistent bleating from some of those usual suspects. Aside from Citizen Cameron’s patience being tried what has been lost was a much needed opportunity to reform the way our National Assembly members are elected.
Lord Elis-Thomas, interviewed on BBC Wales' The Wales Report (last Sunday) advocated reducing the number of Wales' local authorities as part of a wider package of reform, which included reducing the number of Welsh MPs and increasing the number of assembly members. He was absolutely right to link reform of governance at all levels with the introduction of Single Transferable Vote system of voting. If we are going to reform governance (at all levels in Wales) then it must suit Welsh needs and aspirations rather than blindly following a British model which may not necessarily suit our needs.
If we approach the subject of Wales’s governance rationally then our country is at some levels actually somewhat overburdened with elected representatives. Wales with a population of 3.06 million has 60 AMs, 40 MP’s (at the moment), 4 MEPS; we have 1264 councilors (one for every 1830 electors). Wales also has around 8000 community councillors; out of some 875 'communities' in Wales, 735 of them have a council. Let’s not forget our unelected tier of government with its Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies, Assembly Sponsored Public Bodies (formerly known as quangos) and the seven Health Boards.
So how does Wales compare with other countries when it comes to governance? Scotland with a population of 5.2 million people has 59 MPs, 129 MSP’s and 6 MEP’s. Scotland has 1,222 councilors (one for every 3180 electors) and 32 unitary authorities. There are also 1,200 community council’s in Scotland, incidentally a country where the law states that candidates cannot stand on a party-political ticket. Scotland also has 14 Health Boards, 7 regional transport partnerships, while the Police and Emergency services are currently undergoing reorganisation.
Slovenia with a population of 2.05 million with 90 elected representatives in its Assembly (88 directly elected and 2 representatives for the Hungarian and Italian minorities) and 7 MEP’s. Slovenia has 211 municipalities (eleven are urban municipalities), all the municipalities have local autonomy. Each municipality has an elected Mayor (elected every 4 years), and a Municipal Council. In the most of the municipalities, the municipal council is elected via PR with some smaller municipalities using a plurality voting system. Slovenia’s urban municipalities have elected Town or City Councils. The country also has 62 administrative districts which are merely territorial sub-units of government administration, each of which has a Head of the Unit who is appointed by the Minister of Public Administration.
A strong case can and should be made for our 22 local authorities to be reorganised into between five and seven counties (with Cardiff as a municipal region in its own right). Such a reorganisation would match the already completed reorganisation of our local health boards which have been reduced in number to seven. The Conservatives ideologically driven reorganisation of local government in the 1990’s aside from being flawed, replaced several large authorities with 22 smaller authorities. This had more to do with breaking up perceived centres of monolithic Labour power and trying to create local authorities that he conservatives might win control of, than making local government more efficient.
Locally the former county of Gwent was abolished being replaced by five councils which covered; Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Newport and Monmouth. Almost overnight, one chief executive was replaced by five seperate chief executives, five heads of education, five heads of social services and deputies, etc, etc. Any relative economies of scale vanished being replaced by five seperate purchasing organisations, etc. Many of the local authorities, well before the age of austerity in which we no languish were struggling to make ends meet and most of them had to operate with poor financial settlements.
Our institutions at all levels need to be fully democratic being elected with Single Transferable Vote and multiple member constituencies so that they cease to dominated by single political parties and are fit for the twenty first century, rather than the nineteenth. Along the way we can cull the number of highly paid council cabinet members, reduce the number of councilors, and reintroduce some joined up thinking along with sensible economies of scale, and cut out that local government middle management tier without cutting front line services.
Showing posts with label STV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label STV. Show all posts
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Saturday, 15 December 2012
TIME TO BRING BACK GWENT
I can think of no better argument for local government reform than the ongoing row over the pay increase awarded by the Labour controlled council cabinet (Plaid voted against) in Caerphilly. On Monday many council staff in Caerphilly will walk out on Monday lunchtime in protest at the disgraceful pay rises set to be awarded to the council's top twenty executives. The former county of Gwent was abolished by the Conservative Government in the early 1990's, being replaced by five councils covering; Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Newport and Monmouth. One chief executive was replaced by five seperate chief executives, five heads of education, five heads of social services and deputies, etc. relative economies of scale were replaced by five seperate purchasing organisations, etc. It's time to bring back Gwent, but, with Single Transferable Vote to ensure that it is fully democratic rather than a Labour in Wales political monolith. Along the way we can cull the number of higly paid council cabinet members, and reintroduce some joined up thinking and sensible economies of scale cut out that local government middle management tier without cutting front line services.
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
ONE MORE THING...
As the scruffy mack wearing US TV Detective Columbo would say, one more thing? - before we cast our votes on Thursday. Newport is not in good shape, the current incumbents have tried their best, but perhaps the budgetary hand that they were dealt by the departing (and exceptionally bitter about it) former Labour administration in 2008 may have proved too much to deal with in a mere four years.
Now I pull no punches I grew up in the 1980’s in a politicised home in a town dominated by a self-serving arrogant Labour machine. Newport (and plenty of other places) suffered during the Thatcher years, with the rundown of the old heavy and manufacturing industries and jobs losses. Logically, from a Labour point of view I should be a Labour voter and supporter (and probably an active one at that) but having seen them in action in my formative years in various elections - I would sooner go the dentist for a filling with no anaesthetic rather than vote Labour under any circumstances.
Labour in Newport lost power in the last county council elections (in 2004) due to a combination of Blair, incompetence, arrogance, mismanagement and poor judgement. You would not have needed to be a detective to pick up on the quiet glee inside the civic centre on the part of ordinary hard working council workers at the prospect of the arrogant (in some cases bullying) Labour councillors getting a right tattering prior to polling day in May 2008. Even the particularly unobservant might have gleaned a clue or two as to how the Labour councillors had behaved towards the council staff.
Now let’s be honest Labour in Newport has not liked being out of power one bit, if nothing else Labour in Newport over the last thirty years has largely been about just being there and thoroughly enjoying the trimmings. They had previously lost power in 1979, having regained it they ran the shop from 1981 until 2008, presiding over a very visible decline of the town.
It is easy to forget, especially with a Conservative government in Westminster, from 1997 until 2010 Labour was in power, and they ran the show in Cardiff from 1999 until 2007 – so co-operating with their colleagues in Cardiff and London they should have been able to sort things out in Newport. Labour in Newport were either incapable of developing the vision or arrogant enough to think that they did not need to do anything to retain control.
They were in charge for so long that they thought that they had a god given right to be there. All sorts of people joined the Labour machine, some literally to get their snouts in the trough like so many elected gadarene swine. Periodically anyone who looked like they could pose a potential threat would get an invite to join ‘Plenty of room for nationalists in the Welsh Labour Party’ my mate was told after he ran a good campaign a few years ago – similar stories can no doubt be told across much of the south of Wales.
Opposition candidates who got elected (in the 1980’s) found that Labour prevented them from playing an active part on council committees, some slight revenge perhaps for getting elected in the first place. The Labour in Newport party machine itself could be pretty cynical when it wanted to, throwing an all women short list into a seat where they knew they were about to get electorally exterminated in 2008 being a prime example.
Politics aside, part of the problem in Newport has been the lack of any real coherent long term development plan (beyond the Council’s UDP)and the development of out of town shopping centres combined with (for much of the time) a chronic lack of parking has helped to hammer the hell out of the town centre over the years. City status, which owed more to internal Labour politics than anything else, including finding a safe seat (Newport East) for Conservative defector Alan Howarth, amongst other things, along with the much heralded Ryder Cup , have brought few lasting benefits economic or otherwise.
The impression often given is that people are almost entirely disinterested with local politics; they could not care less, etc. Personally I don’t buy this, people are disinterested in and disillusioned with the process of local politics – which for so many years in Newport was dominated by a cynical self serving Labour machine.
I have often wondered exactly what Labour has delivered for the people of Newport to engender such blind loyalty in the last thirty years? Not a lot as far as I can work out. In most seats in my home town we have reached the point where in all honesty there is no need for an election at all – the Labour block vote, enhanced by First Past the Post, will deliver the seats.
Perhaps if we eliminate the safe seats entirely then elected councillors regardless of party will be forced to actually go out and earn the votes of their constituents to get elected – the dead wood will get voted out. First Past the Post is fundamentally undemocratic and unrepresentative, if we change it and use Single Transferable Vote (as is used in Scotland and Ireland) then perhaps we may reinvigorate local politics, and people’s interest and sort out Newport’s problems as part of process...
 |
| Just one more thing? |
Labour in Newport lost power in the last county council elections (in 2004) due to a combination of Blair, incompetence, arrogance, mismanagement and poor judgement. You would not have needed to be a detective to pick up on the quiet glee inside the civic centre on the part of ordinary hard working council workers at the prospect of the arrogant (in some cases bullying) Labour councillors getting a right tattering prior to polling day in May 2008. Even the particularly unobservant might have gleaned a clue or two as to how the Labour councillors had behaved towards the council staff.
Now let’s be honest Labour in Newport has not liked being out of power one bit, if nothing else Labour in Newport over the last thirty years has largely been about just being there and thoroughly enjoying the trimmings. They had previously lost power in 1979, having regained it they ran the shop from 1981 until 2008, presiding over a very visible decline of the town.
It is easy to forget, especially with a Conservative government in Westminster, from 1997 until 2010 Labour was in power, and they ran the show in Cardiff from 1999 until 2007 – so co-operating with their colleagues in Cardiff and London they should have been able to sort things out in Newport. Labour in Newport were either incapable of developing the vision or arrogant enough to think that they did not need to do anything to retain control.
They were in charge for so long that they thought that they had a god given right to be there. All sorts of people joined the Labour machine, some literally to get their snouts in the trough like so many elected gadarene swine. Periodically anyone who looked like they could pose a potential threat would get an invite to join ‘Plenty of room for nationalists in the Welsh Labour Party’ my mate was told after he ran a good campaign a few years ago – similar stories can no doubt be told across much of the south of Wales.
Opposition candidates who got elected (in the 1980’s) found that Labour prevented them from playing an active part on council committees, some slight revenge perhaps for getting elected in the first place. The Labour in Newport party machine itself could be pretty cynical when it wanted to, throwing an all women short list into a seat where they knew they were about to get electorally exterminated in 2008 being a prime example.
Politics aside, part of the problem in Newport has been the lack of any real coherent long term development plan (beyond the Council’s UDP)and the development of out of town shopping centres combined with (for much of the time) a chronic lack of parking has helped to hammer the hell out of the town centre over the years. City status, which owed more to internal Labour politics than anything else, including finding a safe seat (Newport East) for Conservative defector Alan Howarth, amongst other things, along with the much heralded Ryder Cup , have brought few lasting benefits economic or otherwise.
The impression often given is that people are almost entirely disinterested with local politics; they could not care less, etc. Personally I don’t buy this, people are disinterested in and disillusioned with the process of local politics – which for so many years in Newport was dominated by a cynical self serving Labour machine.
I have often wondered exactly what Labour has delivered for the people of Newport to engender such blind loyalty in the last thirty years? Not a lot as far as I can work out. In most seats in my home town we have reached the point where in all honesty there is no need for an election at all – the Labour block vote, enhanced by First Past the Post, will deliver the seats.
Perhaps if we eliminate the safe seats entirely then elected councillors regardless of party will be forced to actually go out and earn the votes of their constituents to get elected – the dead wood will get voted out. First Past the Post is fundamentally undemocratic and unrepresentative, if we change it and use Single Transferable Vote (as is used in Scotland and Ireland) then perhaps we may reinvigorate local politics, and people’s interest and sort out Newport’s problems as part of process...
Monday, 10 May 2010
MAKING OUR DEMOCRACY WORK FOR US
The bottom line is that all votes should be equal - the problem is that they are not. The corrupt nineteenth century voting system is a total anachronism, which is no longer fit for purpose. The number of votes accumulated to elect a representative to the Mother of Parliaments (for want of a better phrase) is as follows:
- Labour MP- 33,350 votes
- Tory MP- 34,989 votes
- Plaid MP- 55,131 votes
- SNP MP- 81,898 votes
- Lib Dem MP -119,788 votes
It gets worse, not only are votes not equal but the system favours the larger parties. In Wales:
- Labour got 36.2% of vote and 65% of seats
- Conservatives got 26.1% of vote and 20% of seats
- Lib Dems got 20.1% of vote and 7.5% of seats
- Plaid got 11.3% of vote and 7.5% of seats
While this questionable result might suit Peter Hain (a great defender of 'our democracy' as long as it serves the Labour Party's interests rather than the peoples interests), it should not suit the rest of us. If we are serious about having a working representative democracy where all votes have equal value then we need Single Transferable Vote (STV), with multi member constituencies.
I personally would add one extra refinement, by having open rather than closed lists so that the public can vote for the representatives of the party it prefers. This will retain the link with geographical constituencies and ensure that our representatives have to work to earn their re-election - no more safe seats and easy rides. Additionally this would put more power in the hands of the electorate by giving then the opportunity to purge the system of the slackers and party hacks and still vote for the party of their choice.
I would go a little further and make sure that Westminster parliament's to have fixed terms 4 years. This is the controversial bit, I would include a limit to the number of consecutive terms that elected members can serve, say no more than 3 terms ( or 12 years), if they want to serve a fourth, go away and get a real job for 4 years and try your luck again. If we are serious about our democracy then this should also apply to Local councils at county and community level as well.
Elective public service, for that's what is is should not be a job for life and neither should it be a path for personal enrichment, the same rules that apply to senior civil servants should be adapted to prevent former politicians from cashing acquire knowledge for tidy jobs immediately after their term in office ends.
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Ducking Hell!
A floating Duck island...for only £1,600 pound - WOW! or perhaps Ducking Hell!
How cut off are these people from the real world and the lives and concerns of ordinary people and how do we fix the problem...
Firstly, a job in elective public service (they work for us after all) should not be a job for life and no one should use it as a platform to get rich or milk the system (and effectively steal from the people because thats what these 'criminals' have done).
Secondly, fixed term elections for Westminster with Single Transferable Votes in multi member constituencies and a fully democratic Second Chamber to keep an eye on the First one.
Thirdly, no one (and I mean no one) for Westminster, the European Parliament, the National Assembly, the Scottish Parliament, Northern Ireland Assembly, and all levels of Local Government, etc - serves more than two terms consecutively...if you want to run again after that then you have to give it another fixed term before you can stand again.
Fourthly, make the hours of Westminster 9 - 5 and finally no second jobs / careers and or paid Directorships (even if they are non executive).
How cut off are these people from the real world and the lives and concerns of ordinary people and how do we fix the problem...
Firstly, a job in elective public service (they work for us after all) should not be a job for life and no one should use it as a platform to get rich or milk the system (and effectively steal from the people because thats what these 'criminals' have done).
Secondly, fixed term elections for Westminster with Single Transferable Votes in multi member constituencies and a fully democratic Second Chamber to keep an eye on the First one.
Thirdly, no one (and I mean no one) for Westminster, the European Parliament, the National Assembly, the Scottish Parliament, Northern Ireland Assembly, and all levels of Local Government, etc - serves more than two terms consecutively...if you want to run again after that then you have to give it another fixed term before you can stand again.
Fourthly, make the hours of Westminster 9 - 5 and finally no second jobs / careers and or paid Directorships (even if they are non executive).
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