05 July 2002
Phil Davis, chair of the unelected West Midlands regional assembly, told a meeting organised by the Campaign for the English Regions pressure group that the current plan to have 30 to 35 members could mean that many people and interest groups are not represented in the chamber.
Davis, who is also the leader of Telford and Wrekin council, argued that each region that opts for an elected chamber should be able to decide the size of the assembly. Otherwise, there was a risk the chamber would merely reflect traditional political rivalries, such as the Tory shires versus the Labour inner cities. It could also prevent women and people from ethnic minorities from being properly represented.
'It's a regional coat made out of London cloth,' he said. 'London is a special case. Elsewhere you have an urban core with a rural hinterland. The current model is potentially quite messy and politically divisive.'
Davis said the government should consider running the elections on a 'list' system, so that instead of being elected by a constituency, assembly members would be appointed on the basis of their party's share of the vote. 'A list system could head off the worry of having certain constituencies represented by certain parties.'
By reducing the emphasis on narrow party interests, it could also foster a more region-based approach to decision-making, Davis added.
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