Dr Simon Duffy of Citizen Network and the Centre for Welfare Reform gave this talk at the festival of debate event on local democracy in Sheffield and how we might restore something closer to a real democracy.

1. #DemocracySheffield
Mapping Sheffield’s
communities in order to
transform local democracy

2. This talk is NOT a
criticism of Sheffield City
Council…
I could give this talk in
any part of the country

3. This talk IS a criticism of
local democracy in
England…
We are failing to act like
citizens.

4. 1. UK is hyper-centralised - it is the most centralised in
developed world.
2. Local government is weak and has been the primary
target for austerity.
3. Northern authorities are robbed of public funding and
the new funding system will make a bad problem worse.
4. We’ve forgotten the meaning of democracy and we’ve
forgotten what it means to be a citizen.
5. The ability to transform our lives and our communities
is in our hands… but we must change how we act.

6. Sheffield is far
more populous
than Iceland

7. • Iceland has a high quality welfare system…
• a President, Prime Minister, Parliament (with 63 seats) a
Supreme Court and a constitution…
• 74 municipalities, which control kindergartens, primary
schools, waste management, social services, public housing,
public transport, services to senior citizens and to disabled
people…
• and the autonomy of municipalities is guaranteed by the
constitution of Iceland.
• Sheffield has none of these things… even our local schools
are controlled by Whitehall.

11. Athens invented
democracy more
than 2,500 years ago.
Democracy in
England is a pale
shadow of this.

12. • At its peak ancient Athens had a population of about 300,000
people.
• 50,000 citizens had the right to vote in the assembly and the
courts.
• About 1,100 citizens held office each year, with positions
mostly filled by lots (sortition) and with strict term limits and
clear accountabilities.
• Athens (and Attica) was also divided into c. 140 demes, each
of which also had its own democratic structure….
• e.g. demes were responsible for educating the young.
• Sheffield has minimal autonomy and low electoral interest.

13. Instead of bringing
local democracy to life
England is heading
in the opposite direction.

14. But the potential for
positive change
is enormous

16. So what can WE do?

17. 1. We do already know how
to strengthen small
communities
2. Sheffield is rich with
civic leaders working at
many different levels
3. The challenge is to turn
our great size into a
positive advantage
3ideas

19. public officials
public services
faith communities
arts & media
environment
heritage
justice
businesses
etc. etc.
How many
communities
already exist?
How many demes do we need?

20. Is our problem a little
like Suduko…
vertical communities
can help us identify
horizontal communities.

22. Who is up for puzzling out
how to…
turn Sheffield into a city
of local communities and
active citizens.

23. If Sheffield City Council did not exist.
If London did not exist.
We’d have to govern ourselves.
Would we copy the current system?
Or would we make it more local?
Wouldn’t we make it more democratic?