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Change often leads to raised expectations, and voting reform is one issue where supporters have been predicting that – for the first time in a generation – their moment has arrived. The issue is once again in the headlines because of the whirlwind of changes brought in by Gordon Brown in his first days as prime minister. His first major announcement was a pledge to bring forward constitutional reforms that would re-engage the electorate with politicians. As part of Mr Brown's reshuffle, job offers were made to senior Liberal Democrats. And former spin-doctor, Alistair Campbell, revealed in his diaries that Tony Blair had held meetings with Liberal Democrats ahead of the 1997 general election to discuss possible power sharing. All this has enabled supporters of proportional representation to re-state their case for reform, and they believe the start should be local elections. So, the timing of the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) conference on voting reform, held in Westminster two weeks ago, sponsored by The MJ and chaired by editor, Michael Burton, could not have been better. The debate focused around the launch of an LGIU report, Democracy day, by Jo Dungey, which argues changing the current voting system is vital if councils are to serve better and look more like the people they represent. The core problems, currently being investigated by Dame Jane Roberts in the Councillors Commission, are that most local authorities are run by middle-class men – only 29% are women – with an average age of 58, and control very rarely changes. Just 4% of councillors are from ethnic minorities. One adviser to Dame Jane recalled being told by a certain London councillor – who fits the stereotype – that he represents his electors perfectly because he is able to ride around on his bike to thank them personally for voting him back in. Put simply – if the system ain't broke, then don't try to fix it. But Ms Dungey argues the system is badly broken and needs urgent repair. ‘At present, local election turnout is low… a new generation of councillors is not coming forward. A new voting system for local government is a vital element of democratic renewal. It would create conditions for new candidates and parties to come forward. Choice would enliven the democratic debate. Campaigners have been emboldened by Scottish elections earlier this year, which used single transferable voting (STV) deliver power to the Scottish National Party. Only two councils have overall control. But Bob Neil MP, shadow local government minister, told the conference he was not a fan of STV. He has the unusual perspective of being an MP elected through the first-past-the-post system and as a member of the London Assembly by transferable voting. ‘This is an important debate. Good though the idea might be, it breaks a very important link between the elected member and the voter. ‘How many people know who their MEP is? The test is, who runs the council. The risk is that it is decided in what they used to call smoke-filled rooms. It is placing disproportionate power in the hands of minority parties.' Liberal Democrat president, Simon Hughes, gave his full support to the LGIU report, adding that a critical factor also had to be allowing councils to raise and control the money they spent. His verdict on the Scottish results was simple: ‘No longer can the argument apply that voting doesn't change anything.' John Curtis, of Strathclyde University, revealed that Scottish voters had got to grips with the system easily and made sophisticated decisions. ‘Turnout was 54% up from 49% in 2003. It's quite clear people did not simply vote by candidate. The message is that personal performance matters,' he said. Alan Whitehead, the former minister and now Labour member of the constitutional affairs select committee, predicted voting reform for local government in England might be on the way. He said: ‘The present system does not work. The Labour Party doesn't currently have any views on proportional representation – certainly not in local government. There may well be changes going on under the surface. I think there is some frantic paddling going on.'

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WHITEHALL

Should PR be rolled out?

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