One-party councils waste £2.6bn annually, study suggests

According to the study’s findings, single-party councils typically achieve lower price savings through procurement processes, saving just 2.2. per cent. This is significantly lower than larger competitive councils, which save as much as 6.2 per cent.

Fazekas measured council procurement processes against a ‘Corruption Risk Index’ and discovered that one-party councils are 50 per cent more at risk of corruption, compared to multi-party councils.

The First Past the Post electoral system allows councils to be dominated by a single party. However, the study’s findings have prompted ERS to propose the introduction of the Single Transferable Vote, a Scottish system, which should be introduced to England and Wales.

Katie Ghose, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society (ERS), said: “First Past the Post is clearly unfit for purpose, with parties able to win the vast majority of seats often on a minority of the vote.

“A fairer system, such as the one used in Scotland for local elections, would make ‘one-party states’ a thing of the past. And by letting the sunlight in, a fairer voting system could lead to substantial savings for the taxpayer.

“It’s time politicians from all parties, woke up to the need for a fairer voting system. First Past the Post is hurting our democracy, and now it looks like it’s hurting our pockets too.”

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