Andrew is right to flag up the ‘empowerment’ white paper - a statement of intent which will be something of a companion piece to the 2010 campaign which London Councils is running.
Broadly speaking, the introduction of elected local - or should that be focal? - government should re-invigorate democracy. However, the UK is historically sceptical with Bury being the latest local authority to reject the option last week.
The Government finds itself in a bind - it wants to re-invigorate local democracy as voting turn-out falls, but finds its ideas rejected by a determined few - made all the more powerful due the very same low turn-out. These battles are less about democracy and more about who can better muster their troops to apathy.
My source at the Local Government Association told me that they were desperately trying to find something interesting to spin from this white paper. That, I suspect, is the problem.
Without power a locally-elected Mayor is a figurehead who drains resources and distracts from the important work of those councillors who govern. Add some electricity to the package - the ability to direct budgets, negotiate with the Government, enact their (bold) manifesto pledges and people may be more excited by the prospect.
Now we just need a Government who is prepared to give up some power. Perhaps that’s the biggest challenge of all.
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