Originally Posted by UKIP Local Manifesto

The U.K. Independence Party believes that the current, cabinet style of government undermines democracy, and relegates elected non-cabinet councillors to the role of rubber-stamping their decisions.

The cabinet style of local government is a statutory obligation under the Local Government Act, and as such UKIP administrations can not dispense with it. However, in order to return democratic accountability to elected councillor level, UKIP would circumvent the cabinet style of local governance as follows.

Cabinet Members would be selected by the sub-committees which they represent, and will at all times remain accountable to those sub-committees. A UKIP administration would consider itself bound by the decisions of the sub-committee with regard to the cabinet members selected by the appropriate committee.

This move reverses the trend whereby the real decisions are made at cabinet level, returning democratic power to the non-cabinet councillors.

UKIP accepts that this may lead to a situation where cabinet members within a UKIP administration are not UKIP councillors. However, UKIP's view is that local residents deserve the best available local governance, regardless of political affiliation. Therefore, a UKIP administration would be happy to see the best elected councillors represented within the cabinet, regardless of party politics; such an arrangement will eliminate much of the party political posturing that serves to undermine the efficient running of council business.

Councillor payments

UKIP believes that local councillors should work for the benefit of the local community without remuneration excepting reimbursement of genuine expenses incurred whilst carrying out official duties. We find the current system of flat rate payments to councillors to be against the best interests of local residents. Consequently, UKIP will urge their councillors to claim only for expenses incurred, with as much as they can afford of the surplus of the £6000 annual payment being donated to local charities for the benefit of local residents, or returned to central council funds. UKIP accepts that the current cabinet system of government places a heavy onus upon cabinet members which at times leads to loss of salary from the councillors normal paid employment. UKIP cabinet members would also be urged to return any excessive monies over and above those offsetting their losses to central council funds.

Regional Governance

UKIP administrations believe that the proposed regional governments are anti-democratic, and too remote from the electorate to be meaningful. UKIP administrations would withdraw from the existing regional assemblies, whilst pressing for immediate referendums in all regions on whether regional governance should continue. UKIP administrations would divert the not-inconsiderable payments which local authorities already make to regional governance INTO phpbb_local causes of benefit to local residents.

UKIP opposes the government's less than honest proposals for referendums on regional government, and notes that the question is not whether to have regional government, but whether to elect it or not. We believe the governments intention to continue with the present, un-elected regional assemblies in the event of a 'No' vote is against the spirit of democratic politics, and is designed to mislead the electorate. UKIP and any UKIP local administrations would campaign for immediate referendums on regional assemblies across the UK, whilst urging the government to scrap the existing assemblies.

UKIP administrations will urge a return to the County system of governance, based upon the traditional county structure of the United Kingdom. UKIP will re-constitute those county councils which have been abolished in successive reviews to return democracy to the most appropriate level.

Public Consultation

UKIP believes that current public consultation exercises are not in the public interests, and often fail to take account of local feeling and opinion. UKIP believes that this is wrong, and that the most important aspect of public consultation is that the public is listened to.

Consequently, UKIP administrations would scrap all existing public consultation exercises. Instead, UKIP administrations would institute a new, genuinely democratic process based on the principles of direct democracy.

The Local Government Act 2000 gives local authorities the power to do anything which is in the best interests of local residents and businesses. Therefore, UKIP administrations would introduce local referendums on a regular basis on all major local issues, with the administration being bound by the result. Issues which would be put to referendum would include;

Building and development which exceeds, for residential purposes, over 100 units of housing or, for business purposes, over 26000 sq ft of space.

Changes to transport infrastructure, transport planning or any other transport issue which falls within the remit of the administration concerned

Any project which may cause significant alteration to the local environment

Any other measure which secures the support of 5% of the local electorate for unitary and county councils and 10% for Borough and District councils in the form of a petition, and which does not;

Negate the principles of referendums or democracy

Propose an illegal action

Resubmit to referendum a motion previously defeated within the past 24 months

Propose a course of action for the authority which the authority may not legally follow

Propose a course of action which is nonsensical, impossible to implement or beyond financial or technical feasibility

Be directed towards or against an individual or groups of individuals

The scope of the referendums would depend upon the scale of change. Local development with limited impact outside of the ward concerned would prompt a referendum only in that ward and, where appropriate, surrounding wards. Larger scale changes would prompt a poll across the entire authority.

UKIP recognizes that low turnouts on referendums could be cause for a judicial review where a development is refused planning permission. Consequently, for the result to be binding upon the administration, it would require a turnout of at least 25%.

UKIP believes that the falling turnouts at elections are a result Councils being answerable to central government for the vast proportion of their funding and not therefore answerable to electors. We firmly believe that, by re-engaging the electorate, the voter apathy which is so apparent will cease when voters realise that their vote can make a difference.

Local Democracy

UKIP believes that voters should be encouraged to participate meaningfully in the electoral process. Therefore, UKIP administrations would encourage the formation of Parish Councils (Community Councils in Wales) where they do not already exist, and would strengthen their consultative role on non-referendum issues.

UKIP believes these councils to be both the lowest and the truest form of democracy, with direct contact between elected and elector. We would reverse the trend of the current government to sideline parish councils. UKIP administrations would encourage these councils to devolve power from the authority, be that District, Borough, Unitary or County, and take the maximum powers allowed by law.

UKIP believes that local organisations should have a greater, more formal role in public governance, including the setting of priorities for local council funding. Consequently, UKIP administrations would encourage the formation of resident's associations, and would grant a greater role to them in the formation of public priorities.

UKIP understands that many existing resident's associations are tied by their constitution to the local authority, and some may not comment on political issues. UKIP would remove these restrictions immediately, and, where the local authority retains a veto over the action of resident's associations, UKIP would surrender this veto.

UKIP also recognizes the importance of the local business community. UKIP administrations would encourage the formation of local trader's associations and chambers of commerce, and grant them a greater say in local affairs. UKIP recognizes that, whilst local business owners may not reside within an authorities electoral area, they are as affected as local residents by the actions of the local authority, and as such should have a formal voice in the decision making process. UKIP administrations would, as with resident's associations, surrender any right of veto over the affairs of these organisations.