Thinktank backs Harriet Harman plan for more regional diversity on quango boards

July 14, 2009


Proposals to make quangos less “London-centric” less have been welcomed by a national thinktank. Under proposals by Harriet Harman, people who run publically-funded quangos will have to become more representative of the UK as a whole.

Last year the New Local Government Network found that quango boards are largely run by people from London and the South East. Based on an analysis of 1000 quango board members, NLGN found that over 50% live in London and the South East, whilst many other regions are significantly under-represented. The research surveyed the primary residence of Board members.

The study found that appointees from just four London boroughs – Camden, Westminster, Islington and Kensington & Chelsea – have greater influence than the entire North of England. The four boroughs control 15% of the quango membership in England.

Quangos are non-departmental Government bodies with a combined spending of £123bn a year. Their expenditure accounts for 21% of public spending. They also have considerable influence over the formulation and implementation of Government policy.

Amongst the “worst offending” quangos included the National Portrait Gallery, 93% of whose board members live in London; the British Council with 80% of members living in London and the British Museum with 70%. Even the national broadcaster Channel 4 has 75% of its board members residing in London.

Many major cities outside the South-East are also under-represented including Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, while areas such as Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Surrey and Oxfordshire are over-represented. Of the ten most overrepresented areas, eight are in London and none are in the North of England:

Ten most over-represented areas:


  • Westminster
  • Kensington & Chelsea
  • Camden
  • Islington
  • Richmond-upon-Thames
  • Tower Hamlets
  • Haringey
  • Rutland
  • Oxfordshire
  • Lambeth

The least represented areas show a bias against the North of England. Over twenty areas recorded no representation on quango boards of those surveyed, including Blackpool, Darlington, Hartlepool, Hull, Plymouth, Wigan and Wolverhampton.

Chris Leslie, Director of NLGN argues:

“Any public body that claims to work on behalf of the whole of the country should make sure that there are voices from across all of the country represented on their governing bodies. It is unacceptable that so many quango boards are run disproportionately by appointees from London and the South East, whilst many other regions are woefully under-represented”.

“Harriet Harman’s proposal need not be a matter of ‘bashing the South’ but a sensible rebalancing ensuring that every corner of the country gets a fair say. With quangos spending half of our taxes, we need make sure they are accountable and representative to the whole of the UK and not just the areas nearest the capital.”


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