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In or out of the EU, London and other British cities need more control In or out of the EU, London and other British cities need more control
(35 minutes later)
Were the prospect of a national government led by Boris Johnson and leaned on by Nigel Farage not blood-chilling enough, the referendum campaign produced opinion poll outcomes to freeze the bones. I don’t mean those underlining how misinformed voters are about EU migration or the reach of EU law, perturbing though they were. I mean the one that found that 46% of those wanting to leave the EU thought the authorities would probably rig the result of Thursday’s vote, and that more than a quarter of them believed MI5 would be involved in the fix.Were the prospect of a national government led by Boris Johnson and leaned on by Nigel Farage not blood-chilling enough, the referendum campaign produced opinion poll outcomes to freeze the bones. I don’t mean those underlining how misinformed voters are about EU migration or the reach of EU law, perturbing though they were. I mean the one that found that 46% of those wanting to leave the EU thought the authorities would probably rig the result of Thursday’s vote, and that more than a quarter of them believed MI5 would be involved in the fix.
Stop laughing. It’s time to cry. Conspiracy theories thrive in climates of mistrust. The leave campaign harnessed deep cynicism about politicians, governance and anyone described as “expert” into one, big, overarching assertion that the EU is one big establishment stitch-up. The notion that shadowy secret service personnel have been deployed at polling stations in order to corrupt the democratic process may be absurd. But it is out there and it is dangerous. We know what extreme actions such views can fuel. Stop laughing. It’s time to cry. Conspiracy theories thrive in climates of mistrust. Maybe some of those respondents were winding the pollster up, but the leave campaign harnessed deep cynicism about politicians, governance and anyone described as “expert” into one, big, overarching assertion that the EU is one big establishment stitch-up. The notion that shadowy secret service personnel have been deployed at polling stations in order to corrupt the democratic process may be absurd. But it is out there and it is dangerous. We know what extreme actions such views can fuel.
Whatever else stems from the referendum ballot, the need to rebuild faith in political institutions has been starkly reconfirmed. Faith flows from confidence that the processes and servants of democracy are honest, accessible, transparent and able to get things done. Can devolving power to cities and their surrounding regions and putting it in the hands of highly visible, directly-elected mayors help to improve that flow?Whatever else stems from the referendum ballot, the need to rebuild faith in political institutions has been starkly reconfirmed. Faith flows from confidence that the processes and servants of democracy are honest, accessible, transparent and able to get things done. Can devolving power to cities and their surrounding regions and putting it in the hands of highly visible, directly-elected mayors help to improve that flow?
London’s mayoralty is now well-established and has gradually enlarged its powers. Liverpool, Bristol and Leicester and elsewhere, have their own, more constrained versions of the system, though the Liverpool mayoralty is to encompass a wider city region from next May, with added reach and responsibility. Greater Manchester’s “metro mayor” will be the strongest outside the capital. More mayors are in the pipeline.London’s mayoralty is now well-established and has gradually enlarged its powers. Liverpool, Bristol and Leicester and elsewhere, have their own, more constrained versions of the system, though the Liverpool mayoralty is to encompass a wider city region from next May, with added reach and responsibility. Greater Manchester’s “metro mayor” will be the strongest outside the capital. More mayors are in the pipeline.
For some, too much power is given to executive mayors at the expense of local accountability. For others, the whole system is fatally underpowered and Tory “localism” just a means of shifting responsibility for the sins of austerity elsewhere. But there’s a more positive line on mayors too.For some, too much power is given to executive mayors at the expense of local accountability. For others, the whole system is fatally underpowered and Tory “localism” just a means of shifting responsibility for the sins of austerity elsewhere. But there’s a more positive line on mayors too.
On Monday, US political theorist Benjamin Barber set out his vision of city mayors transforming Britain in a talk at the Shard, hosted by thinktank Centre for Cities. Barber, who wrote a book called If Mayors Ruled The World, starts from the premise that cities are the natural homes of citizenship - the clue is in the name - and argues that city government is far better equipped than the national kind to reflect and to address the big issues of the day, both in their own backyards and internationally.On Monday, US political theorist Benjamin Barber set out his vision of city mayors transforming Britain in a talk at the Shard, hosted by thinktank Centre for Cities. Barber, who wrote a book called If Mayors Ruled The World, starts from the premise that cities are the natural homes of citizenship - the clue is in the name - and argues that city government is far better equipped than the national kind to reflect and to address the big issues of the day, both in their own backyards and internationally.
Though dismayed by the insular Vote Leave mentality, Barber thunks he knows why people succumb to it. “The nation state is too large for meaningful participation of citizens,” he told Prospect magazine three years ago. As for the EU: “Citizens simply don’t feel that it is about citizenship. It’s about the euro, maybe about economics or trade, but it’s not about democracy.” And, at the same time: “It’s too small, too limited and territorial to be able to encompass the global scale of the challenges we face.” Though dismayed by the insular Vote Leave mentality, Barber thinks he knows why people succumb to it. “The nation state is too large for meaningful participation of citizens,” he told Prospect magazine three years ago. As for the EU: “Citizens simply don’t feel that it is about citizenship. It’s about the euro, maybe about economics or trade, but it’s not about democracy.” And, at the same time: “It’s too small, too limited and territorial to be able to encompass the global scale of the challenges we face.”
Barber’s concept of a transnational network of big city administrations dealing collaboratively with challenges they face in common might seem a long way off, but you can see his direction of travel. The more the planet shrinks and its populations move across continents between urban centres and mingle in them, the more linked and inter-dependent cities become and the better equipped they are to address shared concerns about climate change, crime, poverty, economic development and migration.Barber’s concept of a transnational network of big city administrations dealing collaboratively with challenges they face in common might seem a long way off, but you can see his direction of travel. The more the planet shrinks and its populations move across continents between urban centres and mingle in them, the more linked and inter-dependent cities become and the better equipped they are to address shared concerns about climate change, crime, poverty, economic development and migration.
Another argument Barber made is that city mayors have to be collaborative and pragmatic to get things done. This is very true of London mayors, who need to work with boroughs of all political shades, with bosses and with workers and with the voluntary sector too, as well as whoever is running the show in Westminster. It’s not a job for ideologues. Johnson’s biggest failings as London mayor were inconsistency and lack of focus as much as they were the product of dogma.Another argument Barber made is that city mayors have to be collaborative and pragmatic to get things done. This is very true of London mayors, who need to work with boroughs of all political shades, with bosses and with workers and with the voluntary sector too, as well as whoever is running the show in Westminster. It’s not a job for ideologues. Johnson’s biggest failings as London mayor were inconsistency and lack of focus as much as they were the product of dogma.
Whatever the fallout from the EU vote, the battle to win it has made it plainer than ever that many British people feel at odds with the way politics in Britain works, in some ways disturbingly so. A bolder programme of devolution to cities and city regions won’t make all that vanish instantly, but it could help make a start. Whatever the fallout from the EU vote, the battle to win it has made it plainer than ever that many British people feel at odds with the way politics in Britain and beyond works, in some ways disturbingly so. A bolder programme of devolution to cities and city regions won’t make all that vanish instantly, but it could help make a start.
Watch Benjamin Barber explain why mayors should rule the world here.Watch Benjamin Barber explain why mayors should rule the world here.
Why should London be favoured with still greater autonomy than is presently vested in its mayor? Why should it get more control over its own affairs? Why should the mayors of Liverpool, Bristol and Leicester? What is to be gained from setting up mayoral systems for Greater Manchester,
enjoy cities? Well, they are where most of us live. They are also where the future takes shape today.