And the election loser is...
TonyHannon Fri May 02, 2008 at 05:46:22 PM GMT 
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…local democracy!
I’m not saying this because the Conservatives won or because we got a hammering but consider for a moment what has happened vis-à-vis how we got these results.
Thanks largely to national politicians, local councillors have been kicked out or shovelled in irrespective of the jobs they’ve been doing or are likely to do.
This means that local councillors are less accountable to local people and more dependent on national polls, national press stories and, increasingly, this presidential style discussion of the traits of party leaders.
The 10p tax rate, economic climate, interest rates, aborted election, 42 days’ detention limit, EU treaty referendum and immigration have the sum of ZERO to do with local councillors yet hundreds of them have either paid the price or benefited from the Government’s woes (or perceived woes) in these areas.
Bin collection, efficacy of service provision, value for council taxpayers and casework have EVERYTHING to do with local councillors. If the commentary and “analysis” political talking heads are anything to go by these are, predominantly, not what councillors are judged on.
If the central tenet of democracy is competitive elections then is local democracy not critically undermined when a local councillor or council candidate’s ability to compete is, for the most part, out of their hands?
How far are we happy to accept this will go? Is it good that brilliant constituency MPs will lose seats and morons will potentially gain them because our national political dialogue is founded in hackery about either a “ditherer” or a “shallow salesman”?
Of course the big worry at this point is that we’re about to find out if a Mayor who has cut crime, improved transport, reduced strike frequency, saved millions renegotiating Metronet contracts, reduced congestion and been forthright about his plans is about to LOSE an election to someone who was among the opposition party leadership’s last choice, is wholly unqualified, is dangerously undiplomatic and who has a feral, right-wing Australian lunatic with his hand over the candidate’s mouth.
If that’s the case and if those are the reasons, Labour won’t be today’s only loser.
And the election loser is... | 5 comments (5 topical)
And the election loser is... | 5 comments (5 topical)
