The coalition government means concerted opposition at local level is muted, which is bad for democracy, says Conservative councillor, Richard Stay

The turning of a year tends to provoke reflection on what has been achieved – and what ambitions have yet to be fulfilled. And, as we start 2011, I’ve been thinking about events since the general election only a few months ago.

If a week is a long time in politics, nine months seems like an eternity, and this is the period since the creation of our coalition government took place.

At the point of its conception, I confess I was discomforted at the prospect of cosying up to the Liberal Democrats. I’m a pretty straightforward Tory, and was sceptical about the how this marriage of convenience would work out.

Some months on, and I’m still uncomfortable, but for different reasons from those I anticipated in the spring.

I don’t feel our policies have been compromised and find deputy prime minister Nick Clegg’s protestations about the progressive influence of his party less than convincing. Fairness is a concept we Conservatives have always held dear, and I’m not unduly concerned about the referendum on electoral reform, which will almost certainly be completely eclipsed by the royal wedding.

However, I do feel at a local level, that political debate, scrutiny and opposition has been somewhat emasculated.

As we put through a budget in Central Bedfordshire with eye-watering cuts to much-cherished discretionary services, readers might think I’d be content that our local Liberal Democrat members’ challenge seems to be apologetic rather than assertive.

At a recent executive meeting, one of our more forthright opposition councillors began a speech to defend her local leisure centre from closure by acknowledging to a chamber, full of the public, that the only reason this option was on the table was because of the coalition government’s Spending Review, and the anticipated, Draconian cuts.

‘I appreciate,’ she confessed, ‘that this is a reaction to the policies of my coalition government, of which my party is part.’

The temptation is, of course, to suggest that she speaks to her own chief secretary, rather than blame us poor Tory councillors.

At one level, this is good news for us as we head towards elections next May, but I question whether it is good for democracy.

It seems to me that we are experiencing more visible engagement in political activity in Britain now than we have seen for decades. Marches on the streets of our cities are no longer confined to occasional efforts of disaffected students. Movements such as UK Uncut, are engaging people who’ve not taken such action before, and I believe there will be more to come.

Communities, one could argue, are getting engaged. But how does this action relate to local or national political processes?

How do protesters feel any political party will take up their cause?

My concern is that there is no alignment between the anger felt by our citizens and conventional political parties. This is, at best, a missed opportunity for us and, at worst, a failure of our responsibilities.

Former prime minister, John Major, has been hypothesising about extending the coalition model beyond the next election, and the opportunity for this to redefine our political landscape.

This makes me nervous, because I don’t believe the banality of coalition consensus is a good thing. This may not fit with current thinking of our leadership, but far from achieving collaboration and progress, it seems to me to make politics less credible and relevant than ever.

Nothing has convinced me more of this than an interview I heard on Radio Four recently when a 22-year-old young man known as ‘Cold Blood’ was interviewed by presenter, Evan Davis. Cold Blood is from an organisation called Anonymous, which is instigating protest actions, particularly using the web to do so. He spoke passionately about transparency and accountability. But when asked about his politics, he was momentarily silent, than seemed bemused by the question which he evidently considered to be quite irrelevant. ‘My politics?’ he asked. ‘I don’t know, or care.’

If Mr Blood was to relate to a party, I doubt it would be mine. But the fact that he, and many others, I suspect, consider all of them so meaningless is a worry we all need to address.

So, in short, we have a Labour Party which is hardly in evidence south of Birmingham, and a Liberal Democrat Party which is effectively hamstrung through membership of the coalition. What hope do we have for effective opposition in these stormy times?

Richard Stay is deputy leader of Central Bedfordshire Council