Have mandate, will travel: The developing roles of the councillor above and below the council house

Oliver, Thom

Abstract

The modern councillor lives in an era of complex local governance operating in multiple arenas and networks rather than purely through old-style national/local government structures. The Localism Act (2011) offers no respite from the challenges to the primacy of the role and position of local councillors and local representative democracy in England. Whilst the institutions of local government face challenge from above through reform by statute from central government they also face increasingly assertive contestation of their democratic primacy through initiatives to devolve power to communities.

Both democratic and technocratic pressures continue to define and challenge the powers, boundaries, functions, competencies and funding allocations of modern local government. The changing context of local democracy has a strong potential effect on role perception and behaviour. Therefore despite considering councillors as the conduits and creators of local representation and democracy they cannot be considered outside the organisational settings and institutional frameworks of local government. Whilst organisational avalanches occur above business continues below as councillors interpret, adapt and contest the old and new norms, expectations and requirements of both their functional and representative roles.

This paper explores the how councillors operate within different contextual and democratic arrangements both above their council role, when they work in regional institutions; and below the council house through an investigation of their role within Neighbourhood Partnerships and Forums. The analysis interrogates data from interviews with councillors operating in both of these non-traditional democratic contexts contrasting their role orientations and motivations in these arenas with traditional roles to offer a typology of new councillor roles. The new classification reflects how the developing governmental landscape has demanded extensive adaptation to traditional roles as well as the development of new roles for the modern councillor.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Policy & Politics Conference: 'Transforming Policy & Politics: The Future of the State in the 21st Century'
• Start Date: Sep 17, 2013
• End Date: Sep 18, 2013
• Publication Date: Sep 18, 2013
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: councillors, localism, representation, democracy, neighbourhood governance
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/927709
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : Policy & Politics Conference: 'Transforming Policy & Politics: The Future of the State in the 21st Century'