In its first report of the Parliament, Devolution: the next five years and beyond, the influential cross-party Communities and Local Government Select Committee has noted that some areas were taking steps to engage with the public around devolution, and argued that the vote of the Citizens’ Assembly in Sheffield for a more ambitious deal than the one agreed demonstrated “that the public is interested in devolution”.
The Select Committee went on to recommend:
“For devolution to take root and fulfil its aims, it needs to involve and engage the people it is designed to benefit. There has been a consistent very significant lack of public consultation, engagement and communication at all stages of the deal-making process […] However, from now on, efforts should be made to engage, consult and communicate with the public at all stages of the process—in the preparation of proposals, their negotiation and following agreement. Strategies to involve the public may include citizens’ juries, public meetings and, within the NHS and local government, staff engagement sessions. Once a deal is entrenched and its reforms have had the chance to take effect, the public should be consulted on their experience of its practical effects.”
Professor Matthew Flinders, Director of the Sir Bernard Crick Centre, said:
‘This Select Committee report goes to the heart of the issue about ‘devo deals’ and ‘metro mayors’ in England. It highlights the need for greater public consultation and draws upon the ‘Democracy Matters’ research project that was led by the Sir Bernard Crick Centre at the University of Sheffield in order to offer a firm evidence base that there is a strong public appetite for informed public engagement. The two Citizens’ Assemblies we piloted revealed just how the public can contribute to complex areas of policy making.”
Participants in the pilot Citizens’ Assembly in Sheffield
The Citizens’ Assembly – Assembly North – was held in Sheffield on 17-18 October and 7-8 November, led by the Sir Bernard Crick Centre at the University of Sheffield, in association with the University of Southampton, University College London, University of Westminster and the Electoral Reform Society, and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The Citizens’ Assembly was comprised of 32 citizens from the four local authority areas of South Yorkshire who discussed whether a new devolved regional body should be formed and, if so, what form it should take. A second pilot assembly, Assembly South, ran over the same period in Southampton. More information can be found at the Assembly North Overview Report and the Democracy Matters website.