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English devolution risks becoming a ‘plaything of the old boys’ club’ – Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society

Man-in-a-suit

Katie Ghose is chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, an independent campaigning organisation working to empower and inform the voter. A campaigner and barrister with a background in human rights law and immigration, she served as a Commissioner on the Independent Asylum Commission from 2006-2008. She has worked as a lobbyist and campaigner for several third sector organisations including Age UK and Citizens Advice, and spent five years as director of the British Institute of Human Rights.

Katie Ghose
Katie Ghose

A report from the Electoral Reform Society warns that new combined authorities risk being ‘preserve of men’. 93% of the most powerful positions – the Mayoralties and their cabinets – in the new Combined Authorities will be in the hands of white men.

Diversity challenge

Our report finds that only two cabinet members of all six new Combined Authorities – 5.4% of the total – will be women, and only one – 2.7% of the total – is from a Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background. Our finding predict that just one female Mayoral candidate will win this month (most likely in Tees Valley) with just seven female candidates out of 39 in the six races.

In the most gender-diverse cabinet of the Combined Authorities, only one of five leaders is a woman, while in four there are no women at all.

Jobs for the boys?

Parties have dropped their guard when it comes to diversity and democracy in the new Combined Authorities. With 93% of the most powerful posts being controlled by men, these institutions risk magnifying the problems of representation that already exist in local government. And many of the new institutions will effectively be ‘one-party states’, with Mayors held to account by their own party colleagues.

Town HallIt’s concerning to see the most powerful positions in these new authorities being dominated by the ‘usual suspects’. Many of these authorities risk magnifying the problems of local one-party states, with all sorts of risks for scrutiny and accountability.

These new bodies can’t be allowed to be the preserve of the old boys’ club – with the new Mayors and cabinet members often being the same as those who previously had power, only with less accountability.

Citizen involvement required

Without action now, we risk adopting a major new governance model without any real public buy-in and participation. Voters will see it as a stitch-up. That is a recipe for disaster.

It’s time to inject some democracy and diversity into English devolution. With the public largely shut out of the process, and models imposed rather than chosen, so far citizen involvement in the constitutional future of their own areas has been minimal. That must change.

In places where mayors are to be elected, there are now fresh opportunities for the new leaders to open up their doors. The candidates – and the new Mayors when elected – must seize those opportunities are ensure that devolution is built to last, and isn’t just the preserve of a small elite.

We call on all candidates across the regions to back our seven recommendations for reform, and put real diversity and democracy into English devolution.

Recommendations

  1. Parties need to take urgent action towards equal gender representation for the councils that make up combined authorities – including steps to ensure women who are elected reach leadership positions.
  2. England and Wales should join Scotland and Northern Ireland in using the Single Transferable Vote method of voting in all local council elections.
  3. Scrutiny committees should be comprised of councillors representing the vote share of parties at the previous election – rather than reflecting seat share – where adequate representation exists.
  4. For effective use of taxpayers’ money, parties should make political and demographic diversity a priority for scrutiny committees.
  5. Mayoral elections should be opened up to voters by switching to the Alternative Vote, in order to let voters truly express their preferences, and avoid wasted votes.
  6. Successful mayoral candidates need to build a culture of transparency into the combined authorities from day one. Mayors should draw up a Transparency Charter when elected to ensure voters have faith in these new institutions.
  7. The new mayoralties should be viewed as an exciting opportunity to pursue and experiment with new models of participatory, deliberative and digital democracy. Mayors and Combined Authorities should pursue innovative ways of engaging and involving the public in shaping and making decisions about their communities, such as the use of citizens’ assemblies.

Read the full report, From City Hall to Citizens’ Hall: Democracy, Diversity and English Devolution.

From-City-Hall-to-Citizens-Hall- Devolution - Electoral Reform Society

 

http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/

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https://twitter.com/electoralreform

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https://www.youtube.com/user/ElectoralReformSoc

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