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A Modest Municipal Proposal

Why not abolish every second local councillor and make parish councils conditional upon non-party independent membership? That would be one way to stop the infiltration of hacks and careerists into politics. It may also be a spur to whatever the opposite of apathy is. At the minute, we have a valuable variety of local government systems. Some places have mayors; some have 'executive cabinets'; some have committees and all have a vast number of councilmen and councilwomen. These days, such people tend to be different from local magistrates and much more organised by party than one might expect. They sit atop vast bureacracies run by unelected chief executives and management theorists, and they do not even have the self-respect to want to raise and spend their own money.

Instead they are tax-raisers for the central state.

Local voting figures are dire. I have seen people elected, in deprived wards in some cities, on a couple of hundred votes. Out of 5000. That's not their majority, its only that a couple of hundred people voted full stop.

What is to be done? Should crack teams of political scientists be parachuted in to read to them about Jurgen Habermas? Should they be admonished, or left to the quiet bigotry of indifference? Should charlatans, con-men and nepotists just use them as a kindergarten for the politically ambitious?

Nope. Abolish or suspend the seat. Merge them with a rich area that votes. The resulting representatives will have a genuine fight and a genuine mandate at an election. Just to be sure, elect the new super-councillors by proportional systems that mean they actually require a majority. And exempt local councils from whatever central and european legislation stifles innovation. Oh yes, and elect the chairmen of local police boards...maybe even police chiefs.

there you are. A modest proposal goes too far. But look around. See, if you are in Britain, if you can name your local councillor. And lay plans to abolish them.

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