Local democracy should focus on broader issues of local governance, including democratic local elections, participation, transparency, accountability, leadership and a bottom-up approach, according to CLGF Secretary-General Carl Wright. Giving evidence to the Scottish Commission for Local Democracy today, Mr Wright said that although models of local democracy were not always replicable because of context, the broad principles of local governance can be applied everywhere and pointed to CLGF’s Aberdeen principles on local democracy which have been adopted by Commonwealth Heads of Government and incorporated into the Commonwealth Charter.

He said that the Commission’s discussions were timely as there is a vigorous international debate on local democracy and empowerment. He noted that the UK, including Scotland, has been criticised as one of the most highly centralised countries with less developed local governance, where local government lacks a leadership role in coordinating other local service providers. Mr Wright explained that current thinking in the Commonwealth has moved towards the idea of developmental local government – a broader concept which embraces democratic development, participation, leadership and the ability to integrate and coordinate activities. He said that this idea was endorsed by Commonwealth Heads of Government who had also backed 2014 as the Year of Developmental Local Government.

He also pointed to the UN discussion on the post-2015 development goals.  He said that the idea of new sustainable development goals, with a broader focus and which encompass local delivery and targets, applied to all countries, both developed and developing. He also pointed to Australia and Canada who had not suffered as much in the global financial crisis as their approach had been to provide an economic boost through financial impetus, including channelling a good percentage of money for infrastructure and other development projects through local government. He said that Australia’s infrastructure programme and Canada’s gas tax fund demonstrated that there are alternative ways of addressing problems.

In the round table discussions which included Jeremy Smith, Mr Wright also noted that constitutional recognition for local government is an established principle and that 27 of the 53 Commonwealth countries have recognition for local government in their constitutions.

Aberdeen principles
 
Scottish Commission for Local Democracy