Atif Shafique 28 September 2017

Local government is too white

The growing prominence of local government through devolution has sparked heated debates about local leadership. Earlier this year, as England’s combined authority elections neared and the Northern Powerhouse project entered the media spotlight, observers rightly questioned the male-dominated nature of city-region devolution.

The Electoral Reform Society warned that it risked becoming a ‘plaything of old boys’ clubs’. This wasn’t necessarily because the devolution process itself was deliberately exclusionary by design, but because it reflected the unrepresentative nature of local government more generally.

There has since been sustained pressure on addressing the gender gap in local government. The Fawcett Society’s local government commission called for all parties to set targets for increasing the proportion of female councillors, backed by legal requirements if they made little progress.

Read the full feature for free here.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Graduate Trainee Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

North Yorkshire Council
£25,183 - £30,559
Could you help us deliver Electric Vehicle infrastructure to support this new transformation mode of transport. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council

Contracts and Strategy Officer

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£41,442 - £44,331
Royal Greenwich is on the up! Having achieved a 3.8% increase in our recycling rate this year Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Senior Developer

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£52,584 - £69,068
Royal Greenwich is a vibrant borough, with a rich history and diverse community. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

SEND Operations Assistant - 2 year FTC

Essex County Council
£25081 - £26679 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
SEND Operations AssistantFixed Term, Full Time£25,081 to £26,679 Per AnnumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Welfare Benefits & Money Advice Caseworker

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Band E SCP 18-25 (£30,559 - £35,235 per annum
We have an exciting opportunity for a skilled individual to join our Welfare Rights Team Sandwell, West Midlands
Recuriter: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Linkedin Banner