What DO partnerships add to democracy?

As reported in Third Sector In a speech to NCVO members Simon Jenkins questioned the voluntary sector's role in a democratic society, in terms of what they contribute to, in particular, local democracy. As someone who sat on a Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) for a number of years, and was Chair of a Community Network and vice-Chair of the LSP, I have to say that in a number of ways, he has a point. The problem with local democracy has been, for some time, the lack of participation of local people, with turn outs at local elections commonly being as low as 20%, and research showing particularly poor participation by 'excluded groups' - black and minority ethnic people, refugees, disabled people, older people, etc. The idea of including voluntary and community groups into local partnerships was clearly to improve community involvement with local planning and development, but there are fundamental problems with this. Whilst not wishing to 'do down' anyone involved in a community network or an LSP representing voluntary/community groups, who elected them? I know I was elected by the Community Network Committee, mainly because no one else wanted to do it, and as CEO of the local CVS I felt I ought to (as did my management committee). Obviously I tried my best to represent those I was there to represent, but then again, who were they? Other members of the committee, in many cases professional voluntary sector workers themselves. Everyone with very good intentions, but really, not very democratically elected. And when we tried to involve new good community activists into the Community Network structures, they, quite reasonably, ran a mile when they realised what was expected of them (and how dull the whole thing was).

The other side of this argument however is that the elected councillors were usually only elected by a couple of hundred people who were often the local middle class. Many of whom were friends of the local councillor or friends of friends etc, and contributed very little to local community life. So they aren't very representative either.

However, as proven by what happened in Islington (for this is where I experienced this) the advantage of democracy is that when the Council is led by an unpleasant twit (and their equally unpleasant sidekick) who appears to be only interested in advancing their own career at the expense of local people and their services (sidekick ditto) local people are free and able to vote them out. As they did. (Boy did we celebrate).

So what is the answer - probably, as Simon Jenkins intimates, improvements to local democracy - investment in local democracy, and simply, better systems. The changes implemented in recent years (getting elected mayors, paid leaderships etc) have actually served to lessen local democracy, giving greater power to fewer people. The introduction of LSPs might appear to reduce this power (and probably does via implementation of LAAs) but does this result in an increase in democracy?