We are curating a thought leadership series about opportunities for participatory and deliberative processes in a shifting political landscape following the 2024 general election.
This will inevitably be a time of change — and we want to take this chance to think about some of the key issues, tensions and arguments that surround deliberative and participatory democracy in the UK and beyond.
📖 Read our fifth blog, titled: ‘What opportunities does the new Labour Government have to support deliberative democracy in the devolved nations?’ by three contributing authors, Dr Claire Bynner, Lecturer in Social Justice and Community Action at The University of Edinburgh, Jess Blair, Director of Electoral Reform Society, Cymru Involve's Head of Northern Ireland, Rebekah McCabe.
The recent election of a new Labour Government presents an important opportunity to bolster deliberative democracy across the devolved nations of the United Kingdom. With distinct political landscapes in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, Labour’s approach to enhancing public participation can be a transformative force in reshaping governance.
In Northern Ireland, the challenge lies in addressing a divided society and fragile political institutions, while offering a fresh approach that incorporates citizen dialogue into policymaking.
Scotland, on the other hand, has a history of centralising power, requiring a greater emphasis on local democracy and participatory budgeting to address pressing social issues. Wales, with its long-standing Labour government, offers examples of innovative public participation methods that could serve as a model for broader reforms.
Through targeted initiatives, Labour can empower communities across the UK, ensuring governance is more responsive, effective, and equitable. In this blog, We hear from three commentators about what this might look like in their respective jurisdictions.
Northern Ireland
Rebekah McCabe, Head of Northern Ireland, Involve
The incoming Labour Government faces the challenge of navigating Northern Ireland’s unsettled post-Brexit political landscape. Restoring trust and goodwill will be essential, particularly in the context of unstable institutions, crumbling public services, and the lingering hurt sparked by last year’s Troubles Legacy Act. While the task ahead is significant, there are opportunities to reshape governance by embedding openness, participation, and deliberation into the core of decision-making.
Deliberative democracy offers a way to foster more inclusive and participatory processes, which can be particularly effective in Northern Ireland's divided society and fractured political institutions. By prioritising dialogue across differences, this approach ensures that the perspectives and insights of ordinary citizens are central to policy making, and results in policies that are more effective, equitable, and broadly accepted by the public (see Involve's Citizens' White Paper for more on why we need to change how policy is made).
Unfortunately, Northern Ireland has lagged behind its neighbours in embracing participatory and deliberative methods of governance. Between 2017 and 2024, while deliberative democracy flourished across Ireland, the UK, and Europe, Northern Ireland was left without a functioning government for five of those years. Recent research (see here and here) reveals that people are exhausted by the political instability and the persistent deadlock that stymies progress on crucial policies and public services. The cycle of draft policies and endless consultations without any concrete progress only deepens public frustration, reinforcing the perception that the current system is incapable of making decisions and is, as a result, failing to address the issues having a real impact on the everyday life of people living in NI.
Scotland
Dr Claire Bynner, Lecturer in Social Justice and Community Action, The University of Edinburgh
Scottish Labour has stated the need to push power into the regions of Scotland to empower communities and better support regional economic growth. While a fairer funding formula for local government and a Local Democracy Act sounds promising, it is not clear what this will mean in practice. Scotland is currently one of the most centralised states in Europe, with local governments operating across wide geographical disparities. A well cited example is Highland Council, which governs an area the size of Belgium. For meaningful public participation in Scotland, the new Labour government will need to extend its ambitions far beyond the creation of regional mayors and co-operation across regions, to address this void in local democracy.
Key to the success of participatory budgeting in Scotland has been improving the quality of dialogue and deliberation through relationship building in localities and direct engagement with the lived experience of poverty. In the ongoing cost-of-living crisis there is a need for an explicit focus on anti-poverty and a more localised, neighbourhood approach. The experience in Scotland has shown that high-quality deliberative processes at a local level depend on skilled public participation professionals working on the ground, building relationships and supporting institutions to embed new practices and innovations. This means providing training and support for citizens through grassroots community development projects, and enabling local groups and citizens to work on local issues in a more equal and collaborative partnership with council officers and other agencies. .