Local vs County

Gayle · 24-03-2006, 07:54

Just to help out when people are considering what they are voting for in the forthcoming elections I took this off Hyndburn Life's website. It is useful to know who to blame for what!

Here in Hyndburn we are served by a system which is known as "two tier" local government. In other words, we have two sorts of council serving local people - a county council and a district, or borough council.
We have one county council, Lancashire County Council, and a borough council, Hyndburn Borough Council.

The main services provided by Hyndburn Borough Council include:
housing
refuse collection
leisure services such as swimming pools and leisure centres
environmental health
local planning

The County Council's main services include:
education and schools
social services
roads
bridges and transport
strategic planning
libraries and museums
economic development
tourism promotion
trading standards
street lighting

What it doesn't add is the sort of glossy bit that Hyndburn should be doing like securing investment in the town, generating businesses and promoting it as an individual tourism destination, plus working with the people to create a welcoming place and more vibrant place.

SPUGGIE J · 24-03-2006, 09:35

Is there a hint here that HBC is neglecting some of its duties?

shakermaker · 24-03-2006, 12:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPUGGIE J

Is there a hint here that HBC is neglecting some of its duties?

NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS!!!!

Neil · 24-03-2006, 12:04

It makes me wonder if Blackburn with Darwen have got the right idea and kicked Lancashire CC out (for want of better words).

Acrylic-bob · 24-03-2006, 19:45

It rather looks as if the gloves are off and the campaigning has begun in ernest.

For those of you who don't already know, Gayle is standing in the coming council elections as a candidate for the Labour Party.....against Peter Britcliffe.

I never imagined that I would ever offer my support to a candidate for the Labour Party but, in this instance, It is easy to make an exception.

GO FOR IT GAYLE!

andrewb · 24-03-2006, 20:28

Oh! See I come here browsing every day and didn't even know that. I'm going to stick my neck out and admit that i've no idea how the council elections work.
(Luckily it's unlikely that my politics teacher reads this forum so I can take a guess...)

The area is split in to wards, then the wards vote for a counciler (like regions in national elections)?
And then is a leader voted for seperatly? or.. *shrugs* maybe somebody could just be kind and explain!

Gayle · 24-03-2006, 20:33

The area is split into wards, then the wards vote for a councillor. Then the party that has the most wards has the control of the Council. Whoever is leader of that party becomes leader of the Council.

Each year only about a third of the wards are up for election, so this year there are 11 wards up for grabs. 8 are currently Labour and 3 are currently Conservative. Conservatives currently have over all control of the Council. In order for Labour to take control they have to keep all of their 8 wards plus win at least one of the Conservative ones. To keep control all the Conservatives have to do is hold their current 3 wards.

Neil · 24-03-2006, 20:38

You make it sound almost exciting when put like that Gayle. I can't understand why some wards have more than one Councillor. If the ward is too big for one, why not make the wards smaller?

andrewb · 24-03-2006, 20:43

Ah thankyou! Now how do I find out what ward I am in

I like the fact that a councillor posts on a public forum. If you become leader will you still post here often? As I would assume it would be hard to do that with public scrutiny and all..

Gayle · 24-03-2006, 20:44

I suppose, and I'm only guessing here, that each ward Councillor will have roughly the same number of constituents so where there are two ward Councillors in one ward they'll have double the constituents. I'm also guessing that the reason they don't just divide the area into smaller areas is because they are roughly divided by towns or logical areas within towns.

What makes sense to me would be if a ward had two Councillors it would be beneficial to the ward to have one of each party. That way most of the people would be represented by one or the other of the two main parties on the Council.

Gayle · 24-03-2006, 20:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyfr

Ah thankyou! Now how do I find out what ward I am in

I like the fact that a councillor posts on a public forum. If you become leader will you still post here often? As I would assume it would be hard to do that with public scrutiny and all..

Does this help?

http://www.hyndburnlife.co.uk/rounda...dents/hbc.html

andrewb · 24-03-2006, 20:53

Whoops double post.

BillGreene · 24-03-2006, 20:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gayle

each ward Councillor will have roughly the same number of constituents so where there are two ward Councillors in one ward they'll have double the constituents.

You are right. As far as is possible all Councillors -within the same authority - have the same electorate.

BillGreene · 24-03-2006, 21:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gayle

What makes sense to me would be if a ward had two Councillors it would be beneficial to the ward to have one of each party. That way most of the people would be represented by one or the other of the two main parties on the Council.

With some Councils in the North West, all Councillors are elected at the same time and this can result in the Councillors from one ward belonging to different parties.
However with HBC approximately one third of the Councillors are elected each year so as far as the electorate is concerned they only have one vote to elect one Councillor
If you are going to have proportional voting you have got to change the voting system

Gayle · 24-03-2006, 21:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillGreene

With some Councils in the North West, all Councillors are elected at the same time and this can result in the Councillors from one ward belonging to different parties.
However with HBC approximately one third of the Councillors are elected each year so as far as the electorate is concerned they only have one vote to elect one Councillor
If you are going to have proportional voting you have got to change the voting system

I'm not suggesting proportional voting at all. Although it has happened in Hyndburn before when all the seats were up for grabs at the same time and the voters got a couple of votes each. I think that was when both Cllr Britcliffe and Cllr Walmsley were elected in St Andrew's.

But let's take St Andrew's ward as an example - it currently has two Conservative Councillors, only one of which is up for election this time. Therefore, will have at least one Conservative Councillor remaining after the election - it would make sense (to me) for a Labour Councillor (as an example) to be elected in the seat that is up for grabs so that the majority of the people of the ward are represented on the council. Of course, I am slightly biased so I might not be the right person to advise on this.