People in poverty feel disconnected from democracy. But it doesn't have to be this way

Chances are you don’t feel like you have any influence over the local or national decisions which affect your lives. 

Every second person in the country doesn’t feel like they have any influence on key local decisions. A quarter of people in England don’t trust their local council while 52% have low levels of trust in the UK government. 

These figures from an Ipsos survey of 4,418 people – commissioned by Carnegie UK – show that too many people in England feel disconnected from politics.  

The evidence is clear. Our corridors of power aren’t well-connected with the high streets and back streets of England. 

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I work with the Poverty Truth Network – a charity that brings together decision-makers with those with experience of poverty. I have heard first hand that people who have struggled against poverty feel particularly disconnected and alienated from political and governmental systems. 

People spoke with conviction about how politicians and officials must see the impact of their decisions to understand the impact on their lives. 

But there’s an opportunity to do things differently, at least at a local level.  

The UK government’s English devolution agenda and proposed legislation provides an opportunity to change how we think about government. 

We tend to think that democracy happens every four or five years at the ballot box. But what if we changed that and, at key moments, politicians and officials brought groups of people together – including those further from power – to meaningfully debate the policies and spending decisions that affect our day-to-day lives. 

These models – which include citizens’ juries and panels – give people the means to have an informed debate into the trade-offs and consequences of key decisions. And our research suggests that if they’re meaningful and well-run, then they can restore trust in politics for the people that participated. 

Initiatives like Poverty Truth Commissions, which bring together decision-makers with those with experience of poverty, do tremendous work. And there’s also an opportunity to systematize the involvement of local communities in political decision-making, with extra effort made to include those whose voices are heard least.  

Moreover, while the devolution agenda was pitched by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner MP as a means to “relight growth in every region…”, new political institutions can’t be designed as economic forums alone. 

Our Life in the UK Index for England shows that almost a third of people feel that their neighbourhood is unsafe after dark, over a quarter say they can’t afford an unexpected expense of £850, and most people face local problems with litter and noise. 

The same research finds disabled people and people on low incomes are much more likely to be living in circumstances that should be unacceptable in the modern age.  

While a thriving local economy is crucial to many aspects of our lives, it isn’t the only issue of importance to us and shouldn’t be the sole focus of government at any level. 

“We ask you to listen, not just with your ears but with your hearts. Our stories are real, our struggles undeniable, and our voices must be heard,” attendees of Poverty Truth Network and Carnegie UK events have written. 

Moving more government from London to towns and cities closer to local communities is a good thing. But the real prize lies in changing how as well as where decisions are made. 

Hannah Paylor is a senior policy advocate at wellbeing policy charity Carnegie UK. The Poverty Truth Network works to understand the nature of poverty with people with a lived experience of the struggle against poverty.

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