The effects of economic and social development on local government in an urban district of North East England

Abstract

A study was made of local government in the Urban District of Blaydon, County Durham in 1967/8. Background information was obtained from the Clerk to the Council and from several other sources including local employers and Managers of Employment Exchanges. Interviews in depth were carried out with the serving councillors and a survey of a quasi-random sample of 360 electors in the District was made, (An 87 per cent response rate was obtained to the questionnaire covering 79 questions.) A description is given of the historical background which led to government by the Labour party with little or no opposition for 40 years. The sample of the electorate was stratified by Ward so that data could be compared. Each Ward had developed its own particular social and economic characteristics and political behaviour in each was found to be related to these. The data obtained on the councillors and the electorate was compared with that from other Studies for England and Wales generally and Tyneside in particular. The main conclusions reached are:-A situation of low participation, interest and involvement in local politics relative to England and Wales generally existed in the Urban District; Increased participation currently occurred as the result of other than economic factors; The councillors reflected strongly the social characteristics of the District and this resulted in their attaching more importance to helping the electorate at the personal level than councillors do in England and Wales generally; Findings of other Tyneside Studies were confirmed and strong similarities were shown to exist between the social characteristics of electors in Blaydon Urban District and those of the Byker Ward of Newcastle upon Tyne relative to those in England and Wales generally.