A new Joseph Rowntree report questions the way political parties recruit councillors. Here, the report's author, Paul Wheeler, sets out his findings and proposes a more open approach to recruitment
I have spent the last 12 months undertaking researching for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on how political parties recruit councillors. It has been a fascinating project, and I am pleased to share the results with you.
If local government is to shake off the shackles of national targeting and prescription, it desperately needs confident and capable advocates as local councillors. Indeed my research shows that local government has some of the best political leaders in Europe, but too many who are mediocre and risk averse.
So how is local government to capture the imagination of the best and brightest in our localities and encourage them into the council chamber?
Fundamental to any change are the main political parties. I am aware that there is a view that local government would be better off without party politics. But let's be realistic. Party politics is a fact of life in Europe and the UK. There will always be a honourable place for independents (especially where the choice offered by local parties is poor), but the future of local politics is with the main political parties.
But - and it's a big but - if our political parties are going to retain their monopoly of local politics they have to do much more to prove this is for the public good. Fundamentally we have to recognise that there is a 'missing generation' of 25 to 50-year-olds in our council chambers and we have to ask how the political parties can attract this generation into local politics.
My Joseph Rowntree report Local Talent indicates five strategies for local parties to adopt to become more inclusive and efficient as recruiters.
The first is the simplest, but also the most radical. Simply put, local parties should openly advertise for candidates. All parties currently operate a closed selection system that excludes all but the most active members. An open advertisement approach allows more party supporters and voters to be considered as candidates.
This is already happening. Ealing Conservatives advertised in their local paper for candidates for the May elections. And the initiative is proving successful: the Conservatives are now running the council. The second strategy is to ask parties to be more transparent in their selection processes. Traditionally councillors have been categorised according to the 3Rs: rich, retired and redundant. In the modern age, we need a new set of categories. Existing and potential councillors should now be judged according to whether or not they are representative, reliable and reputable.
Finessing such a change requires a degree of care. Local political parties are essentially voluntary organisations that guard their independence well, not least from their respective national parties. So we have to lead by example, encourage local parties to change and create a momentum for improvement.
As part of this momentum we need to promote and define the role of councillor more effectively to a much wider audience. I don't think I can exaggerate the degree of current ignorance and confusion that exists about the current role of councillors.
In a recent MORI poll, 40% of the population of Birmingham had simply no idea what councillors did. The third strategy, then, must be to initiate a high-profile mission to inform that can help attract high-calibre individuals into the role and challenge the cynicism that pervades the national debate on local councillors.
The fourth strategy is to promote civic pride. While it is true that the vast majority of councillors are members of political parties, for a large number membership is often a means to an end. We have allowed the civic role of councillors to be undervalued in recent years. We have a Parliamentarian of the Year Award but no equivalent for local councillors. The current debate on place shaping is putting more focus on the community leadership role of councillors, and local councillors and their organisations should lead and inform this debate.
If we want to attract the missing generation we have to change the way councillors work and the demands that local government place on them. Councillors with jobs and families will have to be better supported. In particular, we have to change the perception that being a councillor is a career destroyer.
None of this will be easy. But if we are serious about challenging the central state and providing effective local leadership, sustained change is vital. n
Paul Wheeler is Director of the Political Skills Forum - an independent advocacy organisation for local councillors.
I have spent the last 12 months undertaking researching for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on how political parties recruit councillors. It has been a fascinating project, and I am pleased to share the results with you.
If local government is to shake off the shackles of national targeting and prescription, it desperately needs confident and capable advocates as local councillors. Indeed my research shows that local government has some of the best political leaders in Europe, but too many who are mediocre and risk averse.
So how is local government to capture the imagination of the best and brightest in our localities and encourage them into the council chamber?
Fundamental to any change are the main political parties. I am aware that there is a view that local government would be better off without party politics. But let's be realistic. Party politics is a fact of life in Europe and the UK. There will always be a honourable place for independents (especially where the choice offered by local parties is poor), but the future of local politics is with the main political parties.
But - and it's a big but - if our political parties are going to retain their monopoly of local politics they have to do much more to prove this is for the public good. Fundamentally we have to recognise that there is a 'missing generation' of 25 to 50-year-olds in our council chambers and we have to ask how the political parties can attract this generation into local politics.
My Joseph Rowntree report Local Talent indicates five strategies for local parties to adopt to become more inclusive and efficient as recruiters.
The first is the simplest, but also the most radical. Simply put, local parties should openly advertise for candidates. All parties currently operate a closed selection system that excludes all but the most active members. An open advertisement approach allows more party supporters and voters to be considered as candidates.
This is already happening. Ealing Conservatives advertised in their local paper for candidates for the May elections. And the initiative is proving successful: the Conservatives are now running the council. The second strategy is to ask parties to be more transparent in their selection processes. Traditionally councillors have been categorised according to the 3Rs: rich, retired and redundant. In the modern age, we need a new set of categories. Existing and potential councillors should now be judged according to whether or not they are representative, reliable and reputable.
Finessing such a change requires a degree of care. Local political parties are essentially voluntary organisations that guard their independence well, not least from their respective national parties. So we have to lead by example, encourage local parties to change and create a momentum for improvement.
As part of this momentum we need to promote and define the role of councillor more effectively to a much wider audience. I don't think I can exaggerate the degree of current ignorance and confusion that exists about the current role of councillors.
In a recent MORI poll, 40% of the population of Birmingham had simply no idea what councillors did. The third strategy, then, must be to initiate a high-profile mission to inform that can help attract high-calibre individuals into the role and challenge the cynicism that pervades the national debate on local councillors.
The fourth strategy is to promote civic pride. While it is true that the vast majority of councillors are members of political parties, for a large number membership is often a means to an end. We have allowed the civic role of councillors to be undervalued in recent years. We have a Parliamentarian of the Year Award but no equivalent for local councillors. The current debate on place shaping is putting more focus on the community leadership role of councillors, and local councillors and their organisations should lead and inform this debate.
If we want to attract the missing generation we have to change the way councillors work and the demands that local government place on them. Councillors with jobs and families will have to be better supported. In particular, we have to change the perception that being a councillor is a career destroyer.
None of this will be easy. But if we are serious about challenging the central state and providing effective local leadership, sustained change is vital. n
Paul Wheeler is Director of the Political Skills Forum - an independent advocacy organisation for local councillors.
