We hear of people disillusioned with politicians and have seen some low voter turnouts recently, but I believe we are standing on the threshold of a potential resurgence in the democratic process. The catalyst will be devolution.

The Scottish referendum sparked a national debate about local representation. In the aftermath, I wrote a joint letter with the leaders of the other local government associations to William Hague's Cabinet Committee and to the Smith Commission. As representatives of local communities, it was clear that public trust in central control had been shattered. We highlighted this as the moment to revive our system by moving power to local communities.