HOME | IMC UK | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

Oxford Indymedia

Democracy must rule in Oxfordshire

Nicholas Newman | 15.03.2005 22:13 | Analysis | Oxford

It is time we abolish County Councils, if we are to improve local government and local democracy in the region.

Democracy Must Rule
(also published March 11 2005 Henley Standard)

The leader of Oxfordshire County Council Cllr. Keith Mitchell refers to the threat to local democracy by the South East of England Regional Assembly (SEERA) proposals for economic development of the region.

Cllr. Mitchell, castigates this body, yet he fails to mention he himself is a leading member of the Assembly and is, in my opinion, part of an anti-democratic movement to fight giving the South East’s voters the right to directly elect their representatives to the assembly.

As for accusations over its lack of democracy, he forgets to mention that SEERA’s recommendations are subject to approval by our democratically elected government in Westminster.

As council leader he forgets in his pronouncements that he is there to represent the interests of all Oxfordshire residents, and not just those, who have made the mistake to vote for him. That means he should be fighting for the future prosperity of the country.

Logic would have suggested that Cllr. Mitchell would be fighting for plans for affordable housing and improving the economic infrastructure of the county. Instead he insists on supporting anti-business policies that hobble our region’s competitive edge.

As to claims that SEERA is some unaccountable body, in truth any study of the facts reveals two thirds of members are elected councillors, with the rest appointed to represent local interest groups from employers to charities.

As a democrat I find it not too puzzling that Cllr Mitchell should fight plans to bring direct elections to the assembly, after all he is a member of a party that fought against reforms of the House of Lords and establishing regional assemblies in Scotland, Wales and the North of England.

Is his real fear not concern about democracy but the threat that he will lose his position and power as leader of Oxfordshire County Council?

Nicholas Newman
- e-mail: nicnewman@btinternet.com
- Homepage: http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/new_page_14.htm

Publish your news
-->

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Oxford Topics

Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech