Pages

▼

Sunday, April 24, 2016

A few snippets from the Nairn South debate on Wednesday in the Courthouse - 2) Michael Green - consultation

One of our Highland Councillors is as cynical about "consultation" as many of our readers are. On Wednesday at the Nairn Area Committee meeting Michael Green said: 

"I’m pretty cynical about consultation and that is based on experiences. We had a massive response to Nairn South, I would suggest the level of response which  was received for Nairn South was unprecedented in the Highlands. The Inner Moray Firth, and this really caused problems with me, the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan stated that whilst the overwhelming response was against Nairn South they had to take into account the views of those that did not take part in the process and then they did take the rather Machiavellian view that they were of the opposite opinion to the majority. Now I don’t know what that would do to encourage folk to take part in the consultation process but unfortunately that is the sort of legacy that that process has had."

at

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:31 AM

    Is there any evidence that the profile of the people who participate in "cheap" consultations resemble the profile of the population as a whole?
    How do Councillors weigh up the voices of those who do not or are unable to express themselves?
    Unless a consultation is meaningfully randomised and stratified then the loud, confident voices prevail.
    Twas ever thus methinks

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous7:53 AM

    I think it's a fair conclusion by the council.

    For example in the last general election the Tories obtained just 36.9% of the vote and are in power but I think we can safely assume that the remaining percentage of people are not pro Tory

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/results

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous8:45 PM

    Anon @7.53. By the same token, the SNP only got 50% of the Scottish vote, but somehow got 56 out of 59 seats in the Scottish Parliament.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous9:00 PM

    Anon at 7.31 is spot on, it's the squeaky wheels that always get the grease. The 'usual suspects' who can be seen at all the consultation events in the community centre etc. Modern technology would make it easy to invite open contributions from anyone but don't seem much in favour.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous8:05 PM

    Anon at 8.45 - they got 56 out of 59 seats at Westminster due to the electoral system of First Past the Post - there is no chance of proportional representation coming to Westminster as the Tories would never win an election again - they rule Scotland 65% of the time but 100% of the time Scotland doesn't vote Tory.

    ReplyDelete