News & Insights
Election winners everywhere face greater focus on public consultation
When they win; they claim it’s because they have listened.
When they lose, they promise to listen better.
Let us be fair to politicians. Most of them have always listened. It’s part of the skills set of any reasonably proficient elected member – whether a Westminster MP, a Welsh, Scottish or Northern Ireland legislator or a local Councillor. You do not survive for long without having hard-wired antennae that can pick up the ever-changing drift of public opinion and the daily reaction to events. Much derided for commissioning opinion polls and focus groups, the political parties themselves are nothing if not obsessed with attempts to divine the national sentiment and what it means for their support.
The pandemic has made all this more difficult, but not impossible. Methodologically, there have been some constraints, and an inevitable lurch to all things digital. More significant, however is the way that COVID-19 crowded out so many other issues. We have all followed a rather narrow agenda. Across a whole range of issues from social care to education, there has been a form of stasis. Policy-making has either been in a deep-freeze or continued on social media as the twitterati argue among itself. In a world where Councillors have hardly met each other in person, where most MPs outside London appear only on screens ten feet above the floor of the Commons chamber and the media play an exaggerated role in influencing the debate, let’s not be surprised that decisions have been deferred. It is one thing to make announcements. Quite another to make progress.
As a result, almost every public body is sitting atop an in-tray of unresolved questions, pending decisions and potential programmes – just waiting for the right moment to proceed. Hospital re-configurations (permanent, not temporary), Town centre re-vitalisations, economic recovery and climate emergency initiatives are all about to become priorities. These are the tasks which will pre-occupy the next generation of elected politicians.
They inherit a different world. Post-pandemic society has a different relationship with its rulers. The apathy that thrived when little that Parliament enacted affected ordinary people has given way to acute anxiety at the immense power the Governments have exerted by curbing our business and social lives. For now, vaccination euphoria may dim the memories of earlier mistakes, but the public’s desire for greater involvement and consultation will probably be considerably greater. Add to this a greater electoral volatility. As Hartlepool and other places have demonstrated, historical allegiances count for far less and voters expect their politicians to be more responsive and accountable.
The drive to better consultation is not the only consequence. But it is an important one. Here therefore are four actions that the newly-elected should immediately consider.
- Recognise the new realities of participatory politics
There is a surge of interest in new ways of public involvement. Citizens Assemblies, held back by the pandemic, will now be contemplated by dozens of Councils and other organisations. Although expensive, they are great at defining cross-party agendas, exploring options and problem-solving. But, like other new methods, they cannot speak for everyone and must be followed by a wider-ranging debate that is open to everyone – not just those selected for participation. It is understandable that politicians may be nervous about establishing potential rival sources of legitimacy, but greater participation won’t go away. It is better to invest in understanding the pros and cons and learning how to work with new techniques of public engagement
- Take the initiative – don’t be forced to consult grudgingly
The best public consultations are often those that take place early – before opinions become too entrenched – and well before decisions need to be taken. Stakeholders always prefer to have the opportunity to shape policies whilst there is still significant room for manoeuvre and hate it when they have to lobby hard to be heard. When consultation is bolted on towards the end as an afterthought, it is usually all too obvious. It makes the consultor look insincere and fuels opposition anger and mistrust. Councillors and Ministers need to be bolder and invite views earlier. No matter if they prefer the language of a ‘call for evidence’ or a formal consultation. What’s important is that they ask.
- Master the world of digital engagement
The positive outcome of the pandemic is the accelerated learning curve for digital public engagement. Both individuals and organisations who have been lukewarm or just paid lip-service to the new tools/technologies have suddenly found themselves with little option but to adapt to zoom meetings, teams events or other digital methods. Politicians have been on social media for some time, but many, particularly women have suffered abuse and worse; it has not been a great experience. Neither is it a particularly inclusive experience and the Institute has identified the seldom online as a large audience that may need to be helped to engage.
- Emulate best practice – don’t re-invent every wheel
The good news is that there is an abundance of good practice; newly-elected politicians can rest assured that they need not take many leaps into the dark. The challenge is finding what works and ensuring that local government officers, NHS Managers or civil servants have the skills and know-how to organise 2021-style engagement and consultation. The Institute is in a position to help as, later in the month, we will announce an innovative data warehouse called MIDAS which will be free to members, enable them to look at current and past consultations to see how they were run, and with what outcomes.
The Institute will offer training and support. At no time since its founding in 2003 has our agenda of improving consultation and our experience in achieving it been more relevant. We stand by for a busy year.