Feudal Governance, did we ever really leave the medieval period? Options

[Simon Kirby]

I mentioned in another post about how local democracy is a relatively new idea and how maybe we'd be better off with our local services run by national agencies with elected boards to hold them to account.

It seems strange to me that we elect unqualified councillors to run local councils providing services such as road maintenance, environmental health, trading standards, and social care when we already have broadly similar national agencies such as the Highways Agency, Health and Safety Executive, Police, and National Health Service that do a relatively decent job with little or no public scutiny.

The idea that we have local democracy is a farce. Councils are run by their Sir Humphries and while the councillors may engage in a little political hand-bagging with their fellow councillors they virtually never criticise the administration itself. This is completely wrong. The whole point of local democracy is that we, the electorate, hold our local administration to account, and if that isn't happening then local democracy isn't working.

I think a better model would be to have all public services run by national organisations so that we had some ecconomy of scale, and that we achieved democratic oversight with elected boards of governers. But how do you find find governers who won't be suduced by the power and corrupted by the establishment? I wonder sometimes that we wouldn't be better off with the country run by a hereditary peerage with a culture of noblesse oblige.
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But

[On the edge]

I didn't see this! However have posted an alternative approach on the other thread. That is, a return to municipalisation. This would actually give local authorities something meaningful and properly customer focused to manage. It would also break the centralist, London is the only city model.

Inevitably, because we've been so conditioned over the past decades there would be the usual 'can't / won't' cry suggesting it would be impossible. Can you imagine a Council building and running a couple of massive power stations? Ooh no, but actually they did.

I wholly agree, if we do nothing, there is absolutely no point in having local councils. Today, in reality, they don't do anything meaningful and add no actual value. There is no point in being elected because there is nothing to do. Most rational people know that, hence what we have, just a debating society with as much power and influence as this forum!

[MontyPython]

I see there is also talk of getting social care under the same umbrella as the NHS, so with this as well as schools becoming academies if we could also transfer road maintenance to the highways agency and reduce WBC down to little more than a Parish Council.

If we could organise waste collection on a "collective" basis to get economies of scale then even better.

However I don't see this happening as additional layers of government not only provides more jobs for the "Sir Humphries" but also for the politicians, therefore although it may be in the public interest they will ensure the option is never offered to the electorate.

[Simon Kirby]

I see there is also talk of getting social care under the same umbrella as the NHS, so with this as well as schools becoming academies if we could also transfer road maintenance to the highways agency and reduce WBC down to little more than a Parish Council.

If we could organise waste collection on a "collective" basis to get economies of scale then even better.

However I don't see this happening as additional layers of government not only provides more jobs for the "Sir Humphries" but also for the politicians, therefore although it may be in the public interest they will ensure the option is never offered to the electorate.

All too true.

[Andy Capp]

I say carry on as we are, but just make sure there are websites with forums so we can all gather round and moan about it. The vast majority of people don't care.

[On the edge]

Sadly, I think I'd agree with you. It's all pretty futile really and there are other more productive and probably deserving things to do instead.

[The Hatter]

Sadly, I think I'd agree with you. It's all pretty futile really and there are other more productive and probably deserving things to do instead.

Well why bother then?

[MontyPython]

The vast majority of people don't care.

I think they just realise they can't have change however they vote, there are probably a large number who just can't be bothered though.

[On the edge]

Politics has become corrupt and it will take a long long time for politicians to get any degree of credibility back. It wasn't just the press stoking the latest expenses scandal. Most, if not all I've heard or spoken to, have been absolutely appalled. No normal everyday person would even dream of doing something like that, let alone get away with it. Like it or not, there is a political global warming coming and the extremes will break through. Voting is ineffective if there us no choice, thanks to Mr Farrage, there is now.

[MontyPython]

Politics has become corrupt and it will take a long long time for politicians to get any degree of credibility back. It wasn't just the press stoking the latest expenses scandal. Most, if not all I've heard or spoken to, have been absolutely appalled. No normal everyday person would even dream of doing something like that, let alone get away with it. Like it or not, there is a political global warming coming and the extremes will break through. Voting is ineffective if there us no choice, thanks to Mr Farrage, there is now.

Amazing isn't it - if we were to make a genuine mistake on our tax form we would be penalised by a fine and paying twice the amount owed. MPs pay back as little as possible and make out they have been victimised.

[On the edge]

Amazing isn't it - if we were to make a genuine mistake on our tax form we would be penalised by a fine and paying twice the amount owed. MPs pay back as little as possible and make out they have been victimised.

Spot on!

[NWNREADER]

Amazing isn't it - if we were to make a genuine mistake on our tax form we would be penalised by a fine and paying twice the amount owed. MPs pay back as little as possible and make out they have been victimised.

And Ministers resign with a payoff ample to pay their 'refund'.......

[motormad]

Amazing isn't it - if we were to make a genuine mistake on our tax form we would be penalised by a fine and paying twice the amount owed. MPs pay back as little as possible and make out they have been victimised.

You've only just noticed that?

[On the edge]

I must admit I was very surprised that she was even offered this termination payment, let alone took it. It's still public money! OK she gave it to a charity, but it wasn't really her's to give. More like a two finger salute as she drives out if the car park.

[HJD]

I must admit I was very surprised that she was even offered this termination payment, let alone took it. It's still public money! OK she gave it to a charity, but it wasn't really her's to give. More like a two finger salute as she drives out if the car park.

I would love to see Matt Allwright knock on HER door !!

[On the edge]

I would love to see Matt Allwright knock on HER door !!