Understanding Levels of Political Representation

The political section of a community report shows the elected representatives for a community at each applicable level of government. These levels vary by country, and in some cases by city, since not every area has the same governmental structure.

Why levels of government differ

Most areas have at least two or three tiers of representation: a local or municipal level, a regional or provincial/state level, and a national level. Some cities have additional intermediate tiers. For example, London operates a three-tier structure of ward, borough, and Greater London Authority, in addition to the UK Parliament, while most other UK cities use a simpler two-tier structure of ward and city or district council.

Devolved administrations

In parts of the UK, an additional layer of devolved government sits between local representation and the UK Parliament at Westminster. Wales has the Senedd, Scotland has the Scottish Parliament, and Northern Ireland has the Northern Ireland Assembly. Each devolved body has authority over specific policy areas (such as health and education in most cases), while other matters remain reserved to Westminster.

What each level typically controls

• Local or municipal level: local services such as waste collection, local planning decisions, local roads, and local council tax or property tax setting
• Regional, provincial, or devolved level: matters such as health, education, and regional transport, depending on the specific powers devolved or assigned to that level
• National level: matters such as defence, immigration, and overall taxation policy, alongside any powers not devolved elsewhere

Responsibilities can shift over time as devolution settlements and provincial or state arrangements change, so the current representative shown in a report is accurate at the time of publication, but the specific powers attached to their role are set independently by the relevant constitutional or legislative framework.