Radical shake-up of local politics in Southwark

The Democracy Commission is preparing to present its findings to the council’s cabinet and then to council assembly itself.

With tough financial decisions on the horizon, the commission was launched in June in a bid to re-engage residents in council decision making. Its first job was to look at council assembly.

It today publishes its findings and recommendations. Read the democracy commission report.

Under the recommendations, residents will now have more easy-to-access avenues to raise an issue at assembly:

1. New easier-to-bring deputations, which trigger a debate
2. New easier to bring petitions (residents need half as many signatures), which trigger a debate
3. Ask your community council to raise a member question, which gets a written response from a cabinet member
4. Look out for themed meetings on your issue – and get involved in the planning through your community council

The report also recommends that the assembly no longer always takes place at Wednesday, 7pm at the town hall and instead goes on the road, taking place at different times and suitable venues throughout Southwark. The place and time will be influenced by the theme of the meeting.
 
Speaking as the recommendations went live on the council’s website, Councillor Abdul Mohamed, Chair of the Democracy Commission said: "Doing nothing is not an option. The evidence the commission has gathered demonstrates overwhelmingly that we need to reform council assembly.

"We need to increase the involvement and participation of local people and make decision making more accountable and open to scrutiny. This will in turn improve the quality of decisions.

"But we need to get people through the door. There needs to be discussion of topical issues relevant to local people at a time and a place that is suitable.

"I hope cabinet and council assembly accept these recommendation and we can create a better, more relevant council assembly."

The Commission recommends that the council actively seeks to:

• Develop its role as a community leader by  better community engagement and involvement
• Debate and inform council plans, priorities and strategies
• Hold the cabinet to account
• Demonstrate community leadership

Some of the specific plans include:

• Council Assembly adopts the use of themed meetings, which will include a debate led by the relevant cabinet member. For example, a budget themed assembly
• Assembly will involve the community in planning debates
• Lower the amount of signatures from 2,500 to 1,000 that a resident needs to bring a petition to council assembly and trigger a debate
• Up to three deputations are allowed at a meeting on “first come, first served” basis
• A Council Assembly Business Panel is set up to ensure agenda is balanced and engaging
• During members questions one member of community council will be allowed to submit a question on behalf the community council
• New informal sessions at the beginning of the meeting to allow residents to mix with members
• Council assembly meetings should be alternated between suitable venues in Southwark – based on an assessment of accessibility and what will ensure maximum participation and involvement by the community
• A better use of traditional communications and social media to preview meetings

Gathering the evidence

A special conference followed earlier work to collect the views of residents, councillors and expert witnesses. The conference included a combination of informal debates, talks and panel discussions.

Earlier this month the democracy commission published its emerging findings.

One popular idea is building on the role of community councils by creating a system for issues to be captured locally and sent up through the community councils to council assembly.

Some of the other common suggestions received by the commission include:

• Themed meetings, moving meetings around the borough and changing the times of assembly meetings
• More opportunities for the public to get involved with debate through more informal engagement activities (such as online debates, annual conference and workshops)
• There should be increased opportunities for deputations
• The assembly should host debates and then detailed policy work is conducted by linked bodies (such as community councils)
• The assembly should have more decision making powers
• The council should broadcasting the meetings online or on radio

Residents can log on to www.southwark.gov.uk/democracy for more information.