Local democracy week - what happened to it?
By Martin Chapman on Sunday, 21st October 2001.
AS local democracy week drew to a close the results of a joint opinion poll run by Haverhill Town Council and Haverhill UK were announced. But what did any of our local councils do?
Haverhill Town Council ran an on-line opinion poll, St Edmundsbury did nothing – as ever, and Suffolk County Council issued a barrage of press information about birthday cards and “Meet your councillor opportunities,” but nothing to actually excite and encourage the minority who now vote.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said that local democracy week was “about how local authorities promote democracy and encourage the public to take a more active part in how authorities make decisions.”
Our councils didn’t all of the County’s events were focused upon Ipswich, and with Haverhill Town Council it was a case of if you don’t use the Internet then why should we bother? They didn’t even bother to issue a press release over the launch or the results of the vote.
The only groups to become involved were the schools. Samuel Ward held a ballot for the school council representatives. There was more effort there than Haverhill or St Edmundsbury put in.
I can’t see that Local Democracy Week will have done anything to promote involvement in the council’s decisions. Let’s hope next year the event isn’t such a waste of time and isn’t swept under the carpet. Shout it off the roof, and don’t be ashamed of encouraging us to vote – after all we do live in a democracy, don’t we.
To have you say either click “Point’s of View” or email Martin on editor@haverhill-news.com
E-Mail Link: editor@haverhill-news.com
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