Rewiring local government for citizen engagement

Abstract

The relationship between the government and citizens needs reimagining as a matter of priority. Amid structural reforms, declining trust, attitudinal polarisation, and increasing social and economic pressures, this paper argues for a fundamental shift toward citizen engagement. Key challenges include:  Low public trust in both central and local government.  Structural changes such as the creation of mayor-led Strategic Authorities and new large unitary authorities.  The demand from citizens for greater involvement in decisions that affect their lives. Many councils are already pursuing democratic innovations such as neighbourhood-level devolution and citizens’ assemblies, and Parish councils are booming. The English Devolution White Paper offers useful new powers but more needs to be done to make citizen engagement effective.
Learning from academic research and practice evaluation, we identify the need for a multifaceted approach where engagement is embedded in the fabric of local governance. In particular, developing three essential conditions for effective engagement: 1 Convening democratic spaces – enabling deliberative and dialogic processes that help rebuild trust between citizens and institutions. 2 Building community capacity – supporting citizens, especially those groups and communities that are often marginalised in public life, to co-create solutions and strengthen social cohesion. 3 Co-producing services – involving service users in the design and delivery of public services to ensure responsiveness and innovation.
Effective citizen engagement both builds on existing local engagement activity and cultivates purposeful experimentation with new approaches. The legitimate concerns of some local politicians need to be carefully addressed and support provided to develop their community leadership roles. Engaging young people and making appropriate use of digital engagement are important areas for development. The paper concludes that democratic renewal requires more than structural reform - it demands leadership, reform and investment. By further embedding citizen engagement, councils can foster trust, improve outcomes, and build a more inclusive and resilient democratic society.