Liverpool

• Liverpool has set up a groundbreaking Democracy Commission, called the Liverpool Commission, to consider the role of the councillor in today’s world. Membership was drawn from local government, parliament, voluntary and business sectors and is chaired by Vice Chancellor, Professor Michael Brown of Liverpool John Moores University. The report is to be received by the council on July 8th after which work will commence with the party groups, and through a committee of the council to agree or amend the recommendations. Implementation of what is agreed will begin after the 2010 elections.
• Throughout there has been a clear focus on what would work in Liverpool but considering best practice elsewhere. The context for Liverpool’s engagement was the willingness of senior Councillors to engage with something outside the normal processes, the high profile of this council with a poor CPA score, a major external programme “European Capital of Culture 2008”, an adversarial political environment and marginal political control.
• The report highlights four areas:
• role of councillors in 21st century using modern forms of communication with a new approach to training and induction
• community leaders of the future – reflecting the community we represent and with greater diversity
• working with partners including a new approach to scrutiny to solve problems
• community leadership putting councillors at the centre of devolved power to communities
• The report will provide some novel ideas and approaches to more traditional councillor roles and some starting points for thinking about other aspects of routes into becoming a Councillor.