#Sheffield is having a referendum on 6th May alongside the local elections: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/campaigns/scc-governance-referendum

I think this is important. So, here's a thread on my take, why I reckon party politics is getting in the way and my thoughts on how changes could be implemented (if voted for)...

Full disclosure:

- I will be voting for the committee system in the referendum, a change to the current governance system (reasons and reservations to follow);

- I'm yet undecided as to which way I'll vote in the local elections, but it's between Labour and the Green Party.

So, why will I vote for a change? Partly, I just think things need shaking up occasionally. I also happen to believe strongly in disbursed accountability, which I feel the committee structure promotes. I have reservations too about the current cabinet structure and how they act.

A recent Tweet by the leader of the Council, which promoted an article about the upcoming referendum as balanced (when I didn't feel it was), has contributed to me taking more of a proactive interest in this debate.

Here's that Tweet: https://twitter.com/Bob_of_Hills/status/1379729989944360961?s=20

My objections to this article were based on the fact that:
a) it wasn't balanced; and
b) it signalled to me that there were particularly business interests at play.
That said, however, I don't totally disagree with all of the reasons against the new committee structure...

Committees can be clunky and self-serving in their own right. Having lots of committees could make things messy. And yes, there is the potential for all of that to slow down decision-making. I've certainly seen this happen in a number of places across a variety of sectors...

...But I also feel strongly that transparency, accountability and representative voices influencing priorities are more important than those potential downsides. Furthermore, I don't actually believe that having the committee system necessarily infers those things.

Alongside a committee structure comes (or should come) a to-be-agreed set of principles and ways of working that can help to circumvent the things which people fear from the committee system. The Council doesn't need to be an expert in those things; Sheffield's citizens can help.

Ideas from design thinking to co-production can assist with that side of things in my view. And adopting principles from consent-based systems, such as sociocracy (see https://www.sociocracyforall.org/sociocracy/ ) could help to alleviate the less-appealing aspects of the committee system.

[Open to challenge] As a side note to these thoughts, I've also found it hard to see the public e-debate (i.e. on Twitter) *generally* follow part lines with the Labour Council leaders resisting change and the Greens pushing for it...

It's clear why they would take those positions given what they have to lose or gain, respectively. But I don't think it's helpful to an open, informed and independent conversation in the lead up to making an important choice. I guess I believe in ideas above who says them.

Thankfully, that's the end of that ramble. Above all else, turn up and vote on the 6th May, and keep holding people to account thereafter.

P.S. Please excuse the typos.