Could Londoners have more say over the way their local authority spends it’s budget? In my local letter this week appearing in a number of papers I look at how an idea in Bristol could help us here.
One of the hardest things any local authority in London faces is balancing the budget and then explaining its decisions to residents. So, I was fascinated to see an idea being piloted in another English city, Bristol, that lets residents attempt to balance the budget themselves.
The project in Bristol involves a simple online tool that allows people to choose how much money should go to spending departments such as education and social services, and then instantly see the impact. The local authority says it will study people’s choices and then use that information to help them make a final decision on spending priorities.
Perhaps tools like this would be a good way for more local residents to become more involved in the process and feel more responsible for the decisions being made in their boroughs and across London too?
You can see the tool here… https://bristol.budgetsimulator.com/
You must be logged in to post a comment.