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."
5 comments:
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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