"Today’s English Devolution White Paper aims to put power in the hands of communities. Communities understand their own needs best so this is a hugely welcome development. However, engaging with local levers of power is not easy. We see poor turnout at elections, low recognition rates for local leaders, a drop off in community activities such as volunteering and worrying trends in division fuelled by disinformation.
Resources must be directed to communities if they are to access and embrace devolved powers fully. Investment in community adult education is one powerful way to encourage active citizens – it is shown to increase a sense of belonging and raise participation in community activities.
Mayors can choose to use their education budgets to fund courses which could help communities understand their rights and opportunities as citizens and tackle the causes of division like misinformation. We call on them to use these budgets flexibly to support the skills and knowledge citizens need to make the most of devolved powers."
