Community empowerment is a high priority on the Whitehall agenda. The government wants a new relationship between citizens and the state and to reinvigorate local democracy by devolving power to town halls and neighbourhoods. Yet, councillors could be forgiven for thinking their future is uncertain.

Ministers have called for more use of citizens' juries, participatory budgeting pilots and community "kitties". These are welcome ideas but are not the bread and butter of local democracy, more like the icing on the cake...

Published in The Guardian you can read the full article here.