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Elected Regions Hit the Buffers The Constitution Unit Bulletin Issue 29 Monitor January 2005 Elected regions hit the buffers The Government’s plans for elected regional on offer, and the perception of another tier of assemblies were killed off on 4 November by a well-paid politicians—the more people moved decisive vote against the concept in the North- initially into the undecided category and, finally, East, generally expected to be the region most into the ‘no’ camp. favourable towards the idea. The question The No campaign struck a chord with a few ‘Should there be an elected assembly for catchy sound bites—notably ‘vote no to more the North-East region?’ elicited the following politicians’. The most enduring symbol was a response, on a respectable turnout. huge, inflatable white elephant intended to give the impression that the proposed assembly Yes 197,301 22.1% would have few powers. The message from the No 696,519 77.9% Yes campaign, ‘Yes4theNorthEast’, was more Spoiled 12,538 complex and difficult to get across—namely Turnout 893,829 47.7% that while powers were limited, more would Formally, a referendum cannot be held again in assuredly follow as the new body bedded the region for seven years. Politically, however, down. this branch of the Government’s constitutional Yes4theNorthEast gathered together an reform programme is now at an end. The Draft impressive list of regional personalities from the Regional Assemblies Bill published on July 22 sports entrepreneur and commentator, former 2004 will not now be introduced to Parliament, Olympic athlete Brendan Foster, to the president and the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed on 8 (and many players) of Newcastle United FC and November that further referendums planned for the independent mayor of Middlesbrough, Ray the North-West and Yorkshire & Humber, which Mallon. Its campaign video, featuring a catchy were originally ‘postponed’ in July (see Monitor 28), would now be abandoned. MA Course in Democracy and Although almost everyone involved in the North Democratisation -East referendum was taken aback by the size of A new MSc course on Democracy and the ‘no’ vote, the eventual rejection of a regional Democratisation is being established in the assembly came as little surprise to campaigners School for Public Policy, taught principally by and close observers alike. During the campaign, members of the Constitution Unit…. see p 3 the more the details of John Prescott’s package became clear—the potential cost to council From 2005 the Monitor will appear taxpayers, the constraints likely to be exercised every 4 months. The next issue will be by Whitehall on the extremely limited powers in April. In this issue Constitution Unit Master’s Programme 3 Parliament 3 Devolution 6 Director: Professor Robert Hazell FoI and Access to Information 8 www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit Voting systems 9 email [email protected] People on the Move 10 phone 020 7679 4977 Book Review 11 fax 020 7679 4978 ISSN 1465–4377 song from the Manchester band M-People, (Morpeth and Durham) preferred unitary county emphasised pride and passion in the context of councils by as much as 2 to 1, with areas more the strong regional identity of the north east. By remote from the county seats preferring the contrast, the local political class and regional alternative by a similar margin. MPs were conspicuous by their absence. John In the aftermath of this decisive rejection, the Prescott campaigned assiduously, but had only future for regionalisation is unclear. It is likely the briefest support from the Prime Minister that Regional Development Agencies and un- (despite his being a North-East MP) in a joint elected Regional Chambers will remain in place photo-opportunity with Charles Kennedy, for the foreseeable future. Some noises were leader of the Liberal Democrats. This reflected made about an ‘extension of new localism’, or private doubts about elected assemblies or even a revival of the idea of elected mayors—the opposition to the package on offer amongst latter, incredibly, from the previously opposed many politicians. But it also meant that de John Prescott. But no policy initiative is likely facto two separate campaigns were running— this side of the next General Election. Yes4theNorthEast, which deliberately tried to avoid the political class, and the Deputy Prime Peter Hetherington, [email protected] Minister’s exhortations. There seemed to be limited contact between them. The Yes campaign tended to concentrate on regional pride and cultural factors, assuming that these traditionally strong aspects of regional Research on the referendum life would win the day, but many who assumed The ESRC is funding two studies of the there would be an automatic ‘yes’ from the November 2004 referendum in the North- region’s 1.9 million electors slowly realised that East. One, directed by Colin Rallings, Michael this regional identity would not easily translate Thrasher and Galina Borisyuk of the University into political expression. By mid-October, the of Plymouth, is a sample survey designed No campaign had a seven-point lead in a to provide an account of participation in poll commissioned by the Northern Echo and and behaviour at the referendum. It covers Prescott was spending half his weeks in the respondents’ experience of and engagement north east. The No campaign presented eerie with the campaign, as well as their underlying images of politicians alongside the none-too- attitudes to regional devolution in their own subtle message of ‘do you want more of them?’ and other regions. Additional funding has The draft Bill also became, in the event, a been supplied by the Electoral Commission useful prop for them, as they brought it to every to enable the inclusion of questions about debate and concentrated fire on the weakness the all-postal electoral process. The second of the powers on offer. piece of research, directed by Adam Tickell at The Government’s insistence that the Bristol, Peter John at Manchester, and Steve introduction of unitary local government must Musson at Birkbeck, is a qualitative study of go hand in glove with the creation of elected public discourse around the issue of elected regional assemblies also led to threatened regional government. Data is being drawn county and district councils fighting each other from primary and secondary documentary ‘like ferrets in a sack’, according to one chief sources, interviews with key participants, and executive. The referendum included a second monitoring and analysis of media coverage question asking voters to select one of two of the referendum. Both projects are also options for unitary local government—either undertaking some comparative research in unitary county councils for Northumberland the two regions where referendums were and Durham or a pattern of merged district postponed—the North West and Yorkshire & authorities. Collectively, the region selected Humber. Preliminary results will begin to flow merged district authorities by a small majority, in the new year. though areas around the two county seats 2 Monitor: Issue 29—January 2005 ISSN 1465–4377 Constitution Unit Master’s Programme A new MSc course on Democracy and as independent judiciaries, professional civil Democratisation is being established in the services, effective legislatures and constitutional School for Public Policy, taught principally by law. The course builds on the resources of the members of the Constitution Unit. The course will Constitution Unit and its wide international run for the first time in 2005–06. Core modules network. will include a module on the social bases Core courses are taught late afternoon or of democracy, and a module on democratic evenings. The course may be taken as a 1- institutional design, with the option of a module year full time or a 2-year part-time option, or on political participation or parliaments and flexibly. We welcome mid-career professionals parties, a wide range of other options available as well as practitioners seeking to expand from across University College London. their skills or theoretical knowledge as well as This focus of this course is on the design ‘traditional’ students. The programme will offer and creation of democratic institutions in new the opportunity to participate in Constitution or old democracies. When are a given set of Unit research and policy analysis. To apply, institutions appropriate for a society, and what please contact the School for Public Policy. will make them function? The course marries For further details, please see the website for academic study of state structures such as the degree: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/spp/teaching/ federalism, electoral systems, new forms of msc_dem_democ/ or the Unit website, http:// public participation, local governance, and www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit, or e-mail Scott judicial oversight, necessary for constitutional Greer, [email protected] design and legislation, with a practical focus on necessary institutions of democracy such Parliament Lords reform: Bragg vs Tyler membership of the second chamber would be linked to votes cast in a general election, with Speculation has continued about the govern- members chosen from party lists at a regional ment’s proposals for Lords reform. The aban- level. However, voters would have no say over donment in March 2004 of the last proposed who these individuals were, and no ability bill ended the prospects of further change in to support different parties for the first and this parliament, and shifted attention to what second chambers. This would present many will happen in the next. Labour’s October con- with impossible dilemmas, and potentially play ference in Brighton debated the issue, as part havoc with tactical voting. In the event Lord of its review of policy for a possible third term. Falconer restricted himself to suggesting that With some reluctance Secretary of State for the second chamber should be ‘much more Constitutional Affairs Lord Falconer accepted representative’ and ‘predominantly represent an amendment proposing that a reformed the people’.
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