'Cash for election plan' leaves a sour taste in the mouth

12.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 10th Feb 2007

'Cash for elections' would not be good for local democracy

Ruth Kelly, the governments Communities Secretary, has revealed plans for councillors to be given annual budgets as large as £10,000 to spend on their local area as part of a drive 'to improve the quality and diversity of councillors.'

She was commenting on a survey showed the average age of councillors was 58. Ms Kelly has set up a "Councillors' Commission" to come up with ideas to improve the range of people standing for office.

Commenting on the Government's announcement Ashford Liberal Democrat campaigner Chris Took said "whilst I absolutely agree that we need younger councillors, more female councillors and more ethnic minority councillors I do not believe that a guarantee of £10,000 to spend locally will do the trick."

"What you would encourage would be a raft of 'independent' councillors promising the earth then realising, if and when they get elected, that they cannot please everybody."

"One of the key reasons people don't stand as councillors is Whitehall controls a lot of what our town halls do. That leaves councillors as the fall guys, taking the blame but powerless to put things right."

"Cash for elections would not be healthy for local democracy."

Ruth Kelly's "Councillors' Commission" will report in October on its ideas to improve the range of people standing for office.