The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) attended two events on devolutions and local elections held by the Institute for Government (IFG) in London.
During the 'Does London need a new devolution deal?' event on 30 April 2024, stakeholders, including representatives from London Councils and the Centre for London, advocated for greater devolution, particularly in financial matters, extending autonomy to boroughs.
Following the formal discussions, NALC's head of policy and communications, Justin Griggs, emphasised the importance of expanding devolution beyond mayoral and borough levels, advocating for the extension of hyper-local democracy, citing the lone parish council in Queen's Park as a potential model.
At the 'Local and mayoral elections 2024: Why they matter and what to look out for' event on 1 May 2024, notable figures like polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice, Local Government Chronicle (LGC) editor Sarah Calkin, and IFG director Akash Paun offered their perspectives. Sir John Curtice cautioned against using mayoral votes as indicators for general elections. At the same time, Sarah Calkin underscored the significance of local elections, highlighting the substantial budgets and vital services managed by councils. Akash Paun highlighted the increasing turnout for mayoral elections over time.
Addressing the limited coverage of parish and town council elections, Sir John Curtice suggested their non-political nature as a contributing factor. To encourage greater participation and diversity in these elections, Sir John Curtice and Sarah Calkin stressed the importance of addressing remuneration issues and making these roles more attractive.
These events served as a significant platform for engaging discussions on devolution and electoral processes. They illuminated local governance's intricacies and challenges, thereby keeping stakeholders well-informed and engaged.