PHIL DAVIS

successfully moved the resolution on English devolution at the 2012 AGM. He is a Birmingham councillor and has been active on constitutional and localism issues for over 30 years at community, regional and national level. He has held setnior political roles, including Leader of Telford Council, chair of the West Midlands Regional Assembly and chair of Birmingham Community Health NHS Trust. Nationally he sat on the Commission for Integrated Transport, the Local Government Association and the board of Passenger Focus. He chairs West Midlands Voice and the Campaign for the English Regions and was a Charter 88 supporter. He sits on the national executive of the Association of Labour Councillors, but believes strongly in cross-party working on constitutional issues. Unlock Democracy has done an excellent job across a range of campaigning issues, from the need for genuine community localism to Lords reform. With the general election due next year UD should press all political parties for manifesto commitments to constitutional change guaranteeing real devolution to England via its regions and localities.

England is the most centralised democratic country in Europe, with, scandalously, only London granted genuine elected regional government able to tackle the big policy challenges around jobs, transport and strategic planning. With new calls from the North and metropolitan areas for elected regional government, UD is well placed to strengthen its decentralisation message around this democratic deficit. Living in Birmingham, PHIL DAVIS can bring perspectives from the second largest urban area in the country to UD Council, plus extensive political and practical experience of the real issues affecting service delivery to local communities large and small. He can also bring board level public and voluntary sector experience to the management of UDs organisation.