Comments for Localise West Midlands

Comment on Now let’s have a proper dialogue on our cities’ governance by Phil Davis

Phil Davis — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:51:30 +0000

Karen is absolutely right. Those of us who voted “no” should now seek common ground with the pro-mayor bloc. The common issue is returning genuine powers to Birmingham and the wider city-region (the old West Mids County area will do for a start.)
We are due to elect a new police commissioner post in November, which represents the first directly elected authority for the West Midlands conurbation since the abolition by Margaret Thatcher (no referendums for her) of the WM County Council in 1986. Shouln’t we have an elected person(s) running other big services: fire, transport, planning and regeneration? It’s a scandal that only London has these sort of regional powers. And, like Mrs T, we don’t need a referendum to put right the wrong done to us 25 years ago.

Comment on A coalition for a better economy? by localise2

localise2 — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:22:13 +0000

Here it is Ellie – copy and paste:

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/

Comment on Elected mayors & leader/cabinet factsheet by More info from Localise West Midlands | Yes to a Birmingham Mayor

More info from Localise West Midlands | Yes to a Birmingham Mayor — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 09:48:19 +0000

[...] Their briefing can be found here: http://localisewestmidlands.org.uk/mayorsfactsheet/ [...]

Comment on A coalition for a better economy? by ellie breen

ellie breen — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:40:10 +0000

Can u post the transition movement website please, thanks

Comment on Mainstreaming community economic development for inclusion, diversity and equality by Creating a more inclusive economy – new research to feed into FairBrum | Fair Brum

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:10:33 +0000

[...] just and sustainable economy. More about Localise WM and their research project can be found at http://www.localisewestmidlands.org.uk/mainstreaming_CED. The Barrow Cadbury Trust is an independent, charitable foundation, committed to supporting [...]

Comment on Members by Birmingham Council, heed the government advisor who calls for a new generation of markets | Friends of The Bull Ring Markets

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:27:41 +0000

[...] Tim Lang is a long-standing colleague of the co-founder of Localise West Midlands, Colin Hines. [...]

Comment on Award winners by Fair Deal letter in the Co-operative News: 17th January » Fair Deal Food UK

Fair Deal letter in the Co-operative News: 17th January » Fair Deal Food UK — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:25:42 +0000

[...] However Waitrose is the only supermarket chain which has received an award for trading fairly with British food producers – see http://localisewestmidlands.org.uk/activities/fairdealawards/awardwinners/. [...]

Comment on ‘Regional development tsar’ backs May referendum about electing a mayor for ‘hollowed out’ Birmingham by George Morran

George Morran — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:54:57 +0000

Elected mayors will not produce the fundamental constitutional and economic change that people across England deserve and need, to allow them to take more control over theirs and their children’s futures.

We need smaller local government rather than fixing on the existing over-large authorities such as Birmingham City Council which are the legacy of years of ‘bigger is better’ government and ever increasing control and standardisation of public policy from London.

At the same time as the powers-that-be in London choose to ignore the realities of devolution and Scotland, Wales, London and Northern Ireland strengthen their ability to govern themselves, England with or without elected Mayors will still be controlled from London.

The reality of devolution has to be grasped for the English Regions and their Local Communities; we need new constitutional and economic settlements which downsize and refocus Westminster and Whitehall; power, resources and democratic accountability have to be transferred to local communities, and those functions needing a regional approach should be taken on by elected regional governments able to work as equals with the devolved governments which exist in the rest of the UK.

The Localisation of Government in England will help shift the approach to economic development from globalisation to the local, promoting civic pride and involvement.Within this approach elected mayors could play a part.

Across the world elected mayors and more proportional voting systems are associated with much smaller local authorities and stronger elected Regional/Provincial Governments than we have in England

George Morran

Comment on Wholesale Markets could support 15,000 jobs in Wider Economy by fred sherwood

fred sherwood — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:38:16 +0000

excellent analysis by the prof.

Comment on A 24% rise in ‘member owned’ energy co-operatives, 2007-2011 by solar installers uk

solar installers uk — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:27:07 +0000

As much as I’m all for alternative energy – heck I built a website about it – I think that the fact that many countries signed up to kyoto are nowhere near meeting it is cause for concern.