A young person’s
guide to engaging
in local democracy
Hello and welcome to this guide, created for Local
Democracy Week. We want to make Waverley a better place to
live and work for all residents — and that includes young
people like you.
As future voters, the council needs your help to make sure that
its services meet your needs.
Each year, Local Democracy Week is held across local
councils in the UK to encourage young people to get involved in
local democracy. This booklet explains how you can do just
that.
So, what is democracy?
Democracy comes from the Greek word `demonkratia` and
means rule by the people. It gives citizens the freedom to
choose who governs them.
However, some countries are undemocratic and their citizens do
not enjoy the same rights and freedoms as us, including:
 The
protection of human rights and freedom from
discrimination.
 The
right to vote for political parties in free and fair elections
with everyone’s vote counting the same.
 Freedom
of speech, a free press and the right to express your
opinion.
 The
right to openly criticize government policies and to
peacefully campaign for change.
 The
right to education.
 Freedom
to practice different religions.
UK democracy
Democracy in the UK can be traced all the way back to the
signing of the Magna Carta by King John of England in 1215 in
Surrey.
This charter has been recognised around the world as one of
the most important statement of civil rights and liberties ever
made.
It set out limits on the power of the monarch and for the first
time, gave power to the people of the country.
Over the 800 years that followed, the legal system we have
today was established, our rights and liberties set out and power
was transferred to the parliamentary democracy that we live in
today.
The monarch and parliament
Parliament is where legislation, which sets out our rights and
liberties, is passed into law. Based in Westminster, London, the
UK’s parliament is made up of three elements. The monarch
(king or queen), the House of Commons and the House of
Lords.
The monarch is the head of state and represents the country
around the world.
All legislation has to achieve royal assent before being made
into law, although Queen Elizabeth herself does not actually
have any decision making powers.
Instead, it is members of parliament (MPs), in the House of
Commons, and lords, in the House of Lords, that agree
and pass new laws.
Members of Parliament
How MPs and Lords vote
Members of parliament (MPs) are the people that we send to the
House of Commons, by voting in general elections, to work on
our behalf and represent us as new legislation is debated.
All votes held in parliament are conducted on a simple majority
basis. This means that whoever gets the most votes wins.
Any citizen of the UK can stand for election as an MP, either as
a member of a political party or as an independent candidate.
Elections are usually held once every five years and in
the UK we have a first past the post voting system.
Political parties and the Government
Each MP represents one of the country’s 650
geographical areas called constituencies and will sit
in the House of Commons.
MPs have many roles, including debating and voting
on issues of national importance and on new
legislation and policies implemented by the
government. Some sit on select committees that gather
evidence and produce reports on specific matters.
The House of Lords
Most laws are proposed and passed in the House of Commons
but the House of Lords must normally agree with legislation
before it can achieve royal assent.
The House of Lords is made up of 800 unelected members
including bishops, life peers and hereditary peers.
The role of the lords is to scrutinise the legislation and policies
proposed by the House of Commons and to examine the impact
they may have on society.
If it thinks there is something wrong, the House of Lords can
refer proposals back to the House of Commons to be
considered again by MPs with the observations of the Lords.
Each political party has its own set of beliefs, ideas and
proposals on how to run the country in the best way.
These are called policies.
When we vote for a candidate, we also choose what
policies we most agree with and want to see
implemented.
If the majority of MPs elected in a general election are
from the same political party, it is that party that forms
the government. This allows them to pursue the beliefs
and ideas they stood for in the election. The main way MPs
do this is by introducing new legislation to be considered by and
voted on in parliament.
The Prime Minister
The leader of the party that wins the general election becomes
the prime minister (PM) and takes up residence at 10 Downing
Street. The current prime minister is Theresa May of the
Conservative Party.
The prime minister is ultimately responsible for all government
decisions and policies. To help them, the PM appoints MPs to
lead a number of ministerial departments. The MPs become
ministers of state for matters such as defence, health,
education and the exchequer.
Local government
How the council is organised
In England, decisions about many local matters are taken by
local government.
There are a different ways that councils
can be organised; Waverley has a leader
and cabinet. Similarly to central
government, the leader of the council (the
head of the majority party) appoints up to nine
councillors to sit on their cabinet, known as the
Executive. The current leader of Waverley is Councillor Julia
Potts (pictured above).
Local government is made up of local authorities covering
geographical areas. These authorities are commonly referred to
as councils and each type provides different services.
In Waverley, Surrey County Council is responsible for a number
of services, including education, fire and highways. Waverley
Borough Council is responsible for services
including leisure, planning, waste collection and
recycling.
How democracy works in Waverley
Waverley is split into a 29 geographical areas, or
wards. Some larger wards may have more than
one councillor.
Councillors stand for election to represent a ward
and its residents. Local elections are normally
held once every four years and candidates may
be a member of a political party or stand as an independent.
Waverley has 57 councillors representing 122,000 residents; 53
are members of the Conservative Party, five are members of the
Farnham Residents Group and one is an independent.
Councillors are not paid but do receive an allowance to help
them to carry out their role.
Local authorities also employ staff, known as officers, to
implement the decisions of the council and its services.
Waverley has 400 staff members, lead by Executive Director
Paul Wenham.
Each Executive member is responsible for a
service, such as housing, finance or planning.
The Executive (pictured left) can take some
decisions on its own but some require the
authority of the full council.
Overview and scrutiny committees hold the
Executive to account by reviewing their
decisions and calling them to meetings to
answer questions.
How councillors can help
Councillors can make a real difference to people’s lives by
taking important decisions and developing council policies,
priorities and strategies, as well as representing the council at
events and helping residents with problems.
Your councillor can help to explain council services and put you
in touch with the right people. They may also get involved in
campaigning for changes in the community.
You can contact a councillor by phone, email, letter. Most
hold drop in surgeries for you to ask questions in person.
Find contact details of your councillor on the next page.
What services are Waverley
responsible for?
In total, Waverley provides 110 essential
services including; Housing, Planning and
Building Control, Recycling and Waste
Collection, Leisure and Parks and
Countryside.
Waverley supports older people,
vulnerable families and works with
other agencies to improve the
wellbeing of residents.
Our services are delivered either
directly or in partnership with other
organisations, such as private
sector contractors, partners
such as the police or county
council, charities and
community groups.
For example, our partners,
Glendale, help to manage the borough’s
fantastic award-winning parks and green spaces.
The council is continuing to invest in it’s
housing stock, and has recently opened
new homes at Church View in Godalming.
It’s our priority to prevent homelessness in
Waverley and give people housing options.
We are also passionate about improving the
environment and encourage all
residents to recycle and help look
after our planet for future generations.
Our planning department is
responsible for approving where new
houses should be built, as well as the
schools, shops and roads that are
needed so people can live happily.
Have you ever been to one of Waverley’s skate
parks or leisure centres? We deliver those too. We
want to make sure you have access to great
leisure facilities that improve your health
and wellbeing.
Why vote?
Everybody has views about the country and where they live;
things they really love and things they don’t like so much.
By voting for a councillor or MP who stands for beliefs and
policies you agree with, you are giving them a chance to get into
power and make some of the changes you want to see.
If you don’t vote, you lose your chance to influence who governs
for you.
In the 2015 general election, only 43% of 18-24
year olds voted.
Let’s see if we can change that next time
round. Don’t regret throwing your voice
away.
Register to vote
To vote, you must be 18 or over and a
British or qualifying European or
Commonwealth citizen. This entitles you to
vote in local, national and European elections,
plus referendums.
You must also register to vote. If you don’t, you can’t
have the chance to have a say on who represents you or
participate in any local or national referendum.
Credit reference agencies often use the electoral register to
confirm where someone lives when they apply for credit in order
to prevent fraud. So if you’re on the electoral register, you will
have a better credit rating and a better chance of obtaining
credit in the future, to buy a car or get a mobile phone contract.
The way that people register to vote changed in 2014 to an
Individual Registration System (IER). This means that we all
now have an individual responsibility to put ourselves onto the
electoral register.
Under IER, you will need to provide information such as date of
birth and your national insurance.
You can register to vote if you’re 16 or over but won’t be able to
vote until you’re 18.
You can register now at: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
How to vote
When an election is called, you will be sent a
polling card. This will tell you where and when to
vote.
On the day, usually between 7am and 10pm,
your local polling station will be open for you to
vote.
Postal voting is also available or you can ask
somebody to vote on your behalf if you are not going to
be around by registering to vote by proxy.
For more information about voting in Waverley
you can contact Electoral Services at Waverley
Borough Council on 01483 523593 or
[email protected]
Other ways to get involved
Useful resources and organisations
Almost everything the council does is affected by decisions
taken by local councillors, but there is more to local democracy
than council meetings.
www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
Information on registering to vote, how to vote and upcoming
elections.
There are many ways to get involved in democracy to help
make your community a better place.
www.byc.org.uk
The British Youth Council is a youth-led charity that empowers
young people under 25 to become involved in communities and
democracy.
 Volunteer
in your local area, organise a volunteering day at
your school or help with a local project.
 Ask
a question at the next council meeting and challenge
decision makers.
 Organise
a petition to present to the council on a matter that
concerns you and others.
 Organise
debates with other young people on issues that
matter to you and invite your local councillor to attend.
 Start
a campaign on a local issue you feel strongly about.
Setup channels on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter and write
about it in a blog.
 Take
part in consultations.
 Follow
our Facebook and Twitter accounts to get the latest
council news (@waverleybc).
 Attend
community forums or public meetings.
 Become
a councillor yourself.
 Watch
public meetings live on our YouTube channel (search
`Waverley BC`).
 Set
up a debating society or youth forum at your school,
college or university.
www.bitetheballot.co.uk
A not-for-profit, party politically neutral organisation that
encourages young people to use their vote.
www.leagueofyoungvoters.co.uk
Resources and information to promote young people voting
including a Y VOTE? video and Vote Match app.
www.theyworkforyou.com
Find out who your MP and local councillors are, what’s
happening in parliament, read debates.
www.twitter.com/tweetminster
Find your local MP on Twitter
www.parliament.uk
Find out what’s happening in the House of Commons, House of
Lords, current bills, committees and debates.
www.youthdebates.org
A political forum designed to encourage and nurture debate
among young people.
www.electoralcommission.org.uk
Independent elections watchdog; regulates political party and
election finances.
“
Have Your Say
How do you think Waverley Borough Council could
improve its services for younger people and what are the big
issues that really matter to you?
Make sure you make an impact on your community and let us
know by filling out our online survey:
www.waverley.gov.uk/LDW2016
”
Democratic Services
Waverley Borough Council
The Burys
Godalming
GU7 1HR
Tel. 01483 523570
[email protected]
www.waverley.gov.uk/committees
@waverleybc