Rory Stewart, the British politician and best-selling author, gave a barnstorming speech that questioned current thinking around local democracy and posed thought-provoking questions about what the future might hold. The talk was given to Localis, an independent think-tank that is dedicated to issues related to local government and localism.

Rory believes that there is a growing problem of democracy in Britain, because the overall levels of support and trust for government and the political system are continuing to fall. In an effort to combat this, he contends that “communities must be helped to engage with the democratic process, and smaller bodies such as parish councils could provide the key to a flourishing democracy.”

Click here to watch the full speech.