Scottish Local Government (Elections) Bill

Speech by Alison McInnes delivered to Chamber, Scottish Parliament on Thu 14th May 2009

This interesting debate has highlighted a number of issues that need to be addressed. First of all, though, I thank the Local Government and Communities Committee for its report.

As Jim Tolson made clear, the Liberal Democrats will support the bill's general principles. Last year, I said that, on balance, we did not support decoupling, but following a debate and a change in policy at our most recent party conference, and primarily in response to the clear view of the majority of our councillors, we will not oppose the bill's principles.

I acknowledge that, between them, Arbuthnott, Kerley, McIntosh and Gould have provided a body of evidence to support the view that, in the words of the Gould report,

"combined elections are ... a disservice to the local councils and candidates"

and

"to the electorate"

and that they should be decoupled. Unison and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities also believe that a greater focus on local issues would be advantageous in increasing the scrutiny of local government and advancing the understanding of its role. However, as Mary Mulligan made clear in her thoughtful speech, the choice between combined or stand-alone elections is far more finely balanced than some members have suggested this morning.

Having been a councillor for 15 years, I can say that I was happy to have combined elections, because national and local elections are, after all, intertwined. Indeed, when I was canvassing, it was always clear that council issues were at the forefront of people's minds when they were considering how to vote. What is equally clear is that any move towards decoupling involves a trade-off, which, in this case, is most likely to be a decline in voter turnout.

The Liberal Democrats are proud of the electoral reform that introduced STV, which has resulted in a number of welcome changes, and we feel that any additional changes must strengthen and advance the modernisation of Scotland's local democracy. The electoral process must be credible, fair and transparent.

I would like to hear the minister say more about what he proposes to do to ensure that the decline in voter turnout is not simply accepted as inevitable.

The Scottish Government

"recognises that moving the local government elections will mean more needs to be invested in improving turnout, and there are a range of options to explore which could have a positive affect, including for example increased voter awareness campaigns and examining alternative methods of voting."

I hope that gimmicky new ways of voting will not be considered, because that would risk further confusion. I am not persuaded of their merits.

In responding to the consultation on decoupling, Fife Council said:

"The Council are particularly concerned at the possible impact on turnout arising from a decoupling of the elections"

and

"are keen to ensure along with the Scottish Government that there is an investment in improving turnout and a range of options be explored".

The bill does not address that at all, which is surely a significant shortcoming.

Paragraph 25 of the Local Government and Communities Committee's report says:

"The Committee looks forward to ... examining ways in which voter turnout can be increased."

The minister has outlined some ideas on that. I hope that those ideas will be thoroughly scrutinised and that conclusions will be reached well in advance of the elections. That work is urgent.

The Liberal Democrats are concerned that additional costs could be forced on local authorities as a result of the bill. That must not be allowed to happen. The minister has said:

"there will inevitably need to be a centrally-funded awareness campaign from the Scottish Government in 2012."

However, he stopped short of quantifying the funding for that. He went on to say:

"We will need to discuss with local authorities what amounts they are prepared to commit to the 2012 elections."-[Official Report, Local Government and Communities Committee, 1 April 2009; c 1894.]

It is wholly inadequate to propose decoupling the elections without guaranteeing that the extra costs will be met.

SOLACE raised concerns about the ability of the printing and e-counting industries to deliver technical support, given the number of elections that will be held in May 2012, when there will be the London mayoral elections and the local government elections in England as well as the proposed local government elections in Scotland. I therefore strongly support the committee's recommendation in paragraph 48 of its report.

The electoral process must be strong, fair and transparent. Liberal Democrats want to see strong, effective and efficient local councils with clear mandates. We do not want to burden local authorities with extra costs, so adequate funding for the running of the elections and awareness-raising campaigns must be provided up front.