My work life brings me into contact with issues relating to public involvement and participation in decision making by government. It seems to me that most attempts to engage the public in decision making are nothing more than empty gestures. It’s more about making the public sector feel good about going through the motions of engaging people than about empowering the public. Genuine involvement in decision making requires a redistribution of power.
A genuine attempt to redistribute power and engage the public would begin by transferring greater powers to localities. Turnout at local elections is extremely low, which is a symbol of disengagement. But the solution does not lie in consultations, focus groups and other groups made up of self-selected representatives. The solution lies in transferring more powers to the local level, e.g. the power to raise and vary taxes. It lies in giving local government more power over deciding priorities for health and education. If powers are redistributed in this way, the standing of locally elected councillors would increase and more people would vote. More high calibre candidates would be attracted to stand as councillors.
A genuine strengthening of local democracy is needed, not gimmickry.
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