Ideas: Regional government

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Ideas: Regional government

06.10.2009 // by Guest

This idea comes from John in Orpington:

What's the big idea?:

Divide England into 10 or 12 regions. Regional governments would have the similar powers to Scotland. Control of health, education, food, policing, infrastructure, environment, etc. would be with the regions. UK government would be responsible for foreign affairs, defence, borders, etc.

Why is this change important to you?:

People are not engaged by government because it is too big and too remote. Parish councils were merged into much larger councils, and most of their powers sucked up into national bodies. Many changes in health and education that were claimed as moves to more local control actually broke local democratic control and handed it to executives and ministers.

Recent efforts to bring in regional government failed because the new bodies took power from local government rather than from national government.

The success of devolution in Scotland and Wales (and continued progress in Northern Ireland) and the popularity of London wide government show that people do become more engaged with regional and local politics.