Regional Devolution and Democratic Renewal: Developing a Radical Approach to Stakeholder Involvement in the English Regions

Abstract

There is an inherent difficulty in proposing new political institutions in an atmosphere in which citizens are deeply sceptical about politics itself. Regionalists need to be wary about proposing solutions that look similar to the structures that the population is currently rejecting. '' Humphrey and Tomaney (2001, page 4) Devolution and democratic renewal in the United Kingdom Since 1997 successive Labour governments have embarked on a programme of constitutional change that has involved the creation of a Scottish Parliament; Assemblies in Wales and Northern Ireland; the establishment of the Greater London Authority, together with an elected mayor; and, in the English regions, Regional Development Agencies and Regional Chambers. The publication, in 2002, of the White Paper, Your Region, Your Choice, placed regional government in England firmly on the political agenda, setting out proposals for the powers, functions, and mechanics of new, elected regional assemblies (Cabinet Office and DTLR, 2002). Unlike devolution in other areas of the United Kingdom, however, elected regional assemblies would be introduced only in those English regions registering`substantial' public support for elected governance. A`soundings exercise' would identify the

Reflections on the Legitimacy of Regional Environmental Governance: Lessons from Australia's Experiment in Natural Resource Management

“…This was also an issue for regional bodies in the United Kingdom. Humphrey & Shaw (2004) affirm that the lack of statutory authority of the Scottish Civic Forum has meant a reduced capacity to facilitate the input of marginalized voices and promote civic priorities, and thus to fulfil its role of 'reinvigorating democracy'.…”

Region and place: devolved regional government and regional economic success?

“…Consequently, especially among policymakers, the debate has focused in particular on how the powers and functions of elected regional assemblies could be used to promote regional economic development and reduce regional inequalities (Russell Barter, 2002). Nowhere was this more apparent than in north east England (Humphrey and Shaw, 2004). The negative effects of central government policies in and on north east England created space for those who -drawing on a history of cross-class regionalist solutions that go back to the 1930s (Hudson, 2005a) -wished to argue for a greater degree of devolution of political power to the region.…”

Trust and governance in regional planning

“…According to Labour policy, the democratic legitimacy of regional planning (and wider regional governance) was to be supported via elected regional assemblies (see Humphrey and Shaw, 2004), but when 78 per cent of voters rejected a proposed northeast regional assembly in a 2004 referendum, the government was forced to abandon further devolutionary efforts. Nevertheless, existing Regional Planning Guidance (viewed by government as unclear, insufficiently strategic and weakly formulated (DETR, 2001)), was to be replaced by Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) more closely promoting ideals of 'spatial planning', such as the integration of sectoral policy agendas through better stakeholder involvement, greater collaboration in decision making, and a commitment to wider community engagement (ODPM, 2004a).…”