Questions and follow up from 'Taking Power at a local Level' Jan 21st webinar.

Flatpack Democracy - How to set up an independent town council https://youtu.be/S_o3300dxIs

Thanks and will look at this with interest.

Can someone provide a link to how all this local democracy is structured in the UK as Im confused. I live on the Gower penisula which is near Swansea and see there are a load of electoral wards, some of which have more than one councillor, Gower is one such ward. However, within Gower there are also parish councils, often associated with a single tiny village. I can't see how gaining control of my local micro village council is going to achieve very much. At the moment it is no doubt dominated by aging, white, middle class men who probably sit around talking about which brand of tea they should be buying for the next village hall bring and buy sale.

John, sorry for the long delay in replying. You raise important points.
I may not be right about Wales, but I think what you now have is a load of 'Community Councils' which are like the old Parish/Towns (so technically you don;t have any parish councils). I think Gower will be one ward in a group of wards making up a communtiy council. Larger populations, like Reynoldston (where I first lived) have a community council all of their own. These councils are funded by asking Swansea county council for tax to be collected on htier behalf each year.... All planning decisions are probably made by Swansea I'd say.
Individual parish/town/community councils can actually do a lot. Not least because htye can set their tax rates and raise reasonable income. They can also join together (see https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/12/how-to-take-over-your-town-the-inside-story-of-a-local-revolution) to do much more..... indeed, it is increasingly clear that gettign this lowest level of engagement to work is increasingly important as no one is going to do much/anything from above. My book (Flatpack Democracy) sets out how and why you might want to take control at this most local of levels..... and drag them up from talking about brands of tea (which, you are right, is what most do).

Thanks for the post Peter. I live very near to Reynoldston actually and can see if local community councils joined together a lot more could be achieved. ;-)