In 2023 we find ourselves confronting new and complex challenges – not unlike those that faced William Beveridge when he shaped our welfare state.
The problems we face range from the climate emergency to the cost of living crisis, health inequalities to systemic discrimination – these cannot be solved by government or indeed any individual actor alone.
Often that means these challenges are contested, or are met by polarisation, division, and disagreement – and these in turn can become distrust in institutions, apathy and a broad sense of powerlessness across our communities.
We believe the case for democratic renewal is overwhelming. In Camden we know we can only restore trust and build the networks and relationships needed to tackle these complex issues by putting our communities, our citizens and our partners at the heart of our thinking about our future.
My experience from our work in Camden is that when people and communities are given more power and agency, when our planning for the future is rooted in the imagination of our citizens and communities, we all benefit. This is why I believe a participative approach must sit at the core of our society and how we deliver public services.
Power to our communities
In Camden we have been on a journey since 2017 to create new ways of collaborating with our citizens and communities – to imagine a better future for Camden together, to hear the voices of our service users, to share power and resources.
So far we have run 10 citizens' assemblies. We've seen our residents navigate complex issues, negotiate trade-offs, generate innovative ideas and build consensus in a way that goes beyond what we could have imagined or achieved as a council alone. We have put citizens in the driving seat of shaping our plan to tackle the climate emergency, our approach to data and data rights, our long-term health and wellbeing strategy. Our citizens have challenged us to think radically and differently – telling us to think about health as an issue of social connection first and foremost, for example.
We have seen first-hand the impact of this work on those who participate. Being part of a deliberative process and being able to share your experience, can profoundly change someone's view of democracy. It can unlock the huge amount of previously latent energy and talent that exists within our communities. As one young assembly member told us: ‘I only came for the voucher, but this has been the best thing I have ever done.' Another who came to this country as a refugee said: ‘This is the first time I have felt like a citizen.'
Citizen involvement doesn't have to stop with the delivery of day-to-day services. It can also help to shape how institutions, power and resources are used in the long-term. We can go further and involve citizens in defining what success looks like. The Institute for Global Prosperity at UCL has been working with Camden and four other boroughs to develop a citizen-led wellbeing index. Too often what we value is what we measure through rates of employment and GDP. But residents expect more than this to become fulfilled – are these good jobs? Do they provide security? Does the place they call home make them feel safe?
Imagining a Better Future
Experiments across London have shown the power of participatory grant making and community investment. There are parts of Camden where I can see this participative future – skills swaps on estates, community meals, blossoming food co-operatives, repair shops, maker spaces and so much more. Citizen-led projects are bringing new investment into the borough, improving our services, and helping us move faster on our ambitions from tackling the climate crisis to addressing food poverty. The ripples of change created by handing over power and agency have gone far beyond what we could have imagined when we started.
To make the most of the community revolution happening in many councils, central government has to completely change their relationship with local government and devolve more power closer to communities. I believe we need a new civic service on the model of a jury service so everyone has the opportunity to directly participate in decision making. But councils like Camden aren't waiting for national change. We are getting on with a radical shift in power that is seeing democratic renewal led from the bottom up.
Cllr Georgia Gould is leader of Camden LBC
@Georgia_Gould
New Local's Stronger Things event at London's Guildhall on 23 May is sold out. For live-streamed keynotes and tailored workshops on system change, race equity and culture change visit: www.newlocal.org.uk/strongerthings2023.
