Introduction to the briefing papers
This introduction was designed for the Assembly North participants. Congratulations on becoming a member of Assembly North! Over the next few weeks, you will get to debate some very important issues to do with how the South Yorkshire area will be governed in the future. The results of your discussions will be closely followed by […]
Continue readingCitizens to be given a say in devolution agenda
Statement from the Democracy Matters project For immediate release, Wednesday 14th October 13.30 For more details visit www.citizensassembly.co.uk Major democratic experiment to find out where citizens in Sheffield and Southampton think power should lie at the local level Citizens’ Assemblies launched as Government pushes through devolution legislation and continues to broker deals with city regions […]
Continue readingOverview of the project
During October and November 2015, around ninety citizens (including fifteen politicians) will be part of two ‘citizens assemblies’ that will discuss and recommend the best way for their area to be governed into the future. These citizens assemblies will be the first of their kind ever held in the UK and the first opportunity since […]
Continue reading
A Regional Assembly
In this page: This paper sets out ideas for new regional assemblies in England. These would sit below central government and above local councils. People from large regional areas would elect these assemblies, which might each have 30 to 40 members. Each assembly would elect a first minister and cabinet. Regional assemblies in England would […]
Continue readingThe Local Government System in England Today
In this page: This page sets out the system of local government as it exists in England today. For details on arrangements in your area, see the separate pages on local government in the Sheffield City Region and in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. In much of England, there are county and district councils. Elsewhere, there […]
Continue readingA Devolution Deal
In this page: A devolution deal is an agreement between the government and a group of local councils. As a result of the deal, the councils form a combined authority and gain new powers, as well as extra funding. This authority has an elected mayor who forms a cabinet. On the surface, these deals are […]
Continue readingAcademics and campaigners launch ‘Citizens’ Assemblies’ to debate UK’s constitutional future
Leading academics and the Electoral Reform Society will launch a major democratic project in Parliament this week, ahead of two ground-breaking gatherings to debate Britain’s constitutional future at a local level [1]. The ‘Citizens’ Assembly’ pilot project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) [2], will be launched in the Palace of Westminster on […]
Continue readingCitizens’ Assembly Summary
Increasingly, UK politicians from all sides of politics have been calling for greater devolution and decentralisation of powers. In fact, the leaders of most political parties have all, at some point, shown support for a shift in powers or a Constitutional Convention on governance in the UK. In part, this is the product the shifting […]
Continue reading
