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'Power to people' plans unveiled 'Prize draw' to encourage voting
(about 8 hours later)
Proposals to give people in England more power over how local services are run are due to be unveiled. Voters in English local elections could be entered into a "prize draw" in an effort to increase turnout, says communities secretary Hazel Blears.
A government White Paper, titled Communities in Control, suggests pilot schemes allowing some council assets to be transferred to neighbourhood groups. She told MPs proposals to give people more of a say in local services, such as letting councils offer "incentives" to encourage voter registration.
Community centres, swimming pools and land could be handed over under the programme, the BBC understands. For the Conservatives, Eric Pickles suggested the "booby prize" would be a Labour councillor.
It also proposes giving petitions more weight and making it easier to introduce directly elected mayors. Ms Blears was briefing MPs on plans to give voters more say in local services.
Some areas currently struggle to get enough signatures to trigger a mayoral referendum, but the White Paper suggests also allowing names to be collected online. Outlining the ideas in the government's White Paper "Communities in Control" in the Commons, Ms Blears told MPs it had two aims - "rehabilitating local political activity" and giving more power to local people.
And organisers of local petitions, often ignored by councils, will be given the opportunity of a full council debate on the issue if their demands are initially rejected. Elected mayors
The government hopes that the reforms will make local authorities more responsive to the public. She rejected the idea that people were apathetic, saying surveys suggest almost 70% of people wanted a bigger say in local issues, but she said the "structures and culture" of politics "sometimes alienates them".
However, ministers have rejected suggestions that long-serving councillors should be limited to five terms. She said people would increasingly expect and demand more power and governments had to adapt and change their system.
It is expected, however, that those who give way to younger blood could adopt the title "alderman" or "alderwoman" in recognition of their services. Not everyone wants to become an active citizen, but there are millions of people in Britain who want to do more for their communities Hazel Blears
The White Paper contains measures to make it easier for English towns to get directly elected mayors.
Thirteen towns currently have directly elected mayors - including Ray Mallon in Middlesbrough, London's Boris Johnson and three others in London boroughs. Nearly twice as many towns have voted to reject them.
Currently cities or boroughs must get signatures of 5% of the population to trigger a referendum and signatures only remain valid for 12 months.
'More popular'
Ms Blears said in future names could also be collected online.
Other proposals included putting a duty on councils to run voter registration campaigns, working with schools to explain councillors' roles and to allowing local authorities to offer voter incentives - such as a prize draw.
Ms Blears suggested such a move might make it "more popular for people to vote".
She said the government would also review the "Widdecombe rules" which restrict council officers from political activity.
This is a return to the sweetheart days when officers and councillors swapped roles on a tit-for-tat basis Shadow communities secretary
And organisers of local petitions, sometimes ignored by councils, will be given the opportunity of a full council debate on the issue if signatures amount to 5% of the local population.
The White Paper also proposes transferring control of some council assets, such as swimming pools, to neighbourhood groups.
And councillors who have served two full terms would be recognised by the title "alderman" or "alderwoman".
Ms Blears acknowledged: "Not everyone wants to become an active citizen, but there are millions of people in Britain who want to do more for their communities but they lack the platform on which to stand."
Her Tory shadow, Eric Pickles, described the proposals as "essentially harmless" and his party agreed that the hurdles for towns to get directly elected mayors were too high, although "local choice must be paramount".
But he said the government's proposals were "too timid" and mayors should be given "real control" over policing.
He also criticised plans to let councillors vote "from the comfort of their own armchair, without the inconvenience of meeting a voter".
And a proposal that people who do not get their bin collected on time should be refunded £10 was dismissed, as Mr Pickles said council "bin bullies" were fining people £75 for putting out rubbish on the wrong day, or not shutting the bin lid correctly.
He also opposed changes to rules keeping council officers out of politics, adding: "This is a return to the sweetheart days when officers and councillors swapped roles on a tit-for-tat basis.
"Such jobs for the boys brought so much corruption to local government."