“Our objective must be to get this right for our residents and businesses: that cannot be achieved if we make rushed decisions that have not been given the serious consideration that they deserve.” [Devon district councils]
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Last week, there was a parliamentary debate on proposals for local government reorganisation – where the minister was keen to say that “this Labour Government were elected on a manifesto to push power out of Westminster and to relight the fires of our regions, and I am delighted that local leaders across England are sharing that ambition.”
Considerable disquiet was expressed though, and not just from the opposition benches, with one Labour MP asking if “the Minister can assure me that the fast-tracking and the speed of this process, which I acknowledge the reason for, will not lead to rushed proposals that do not take into account what communities actually feel and look like?”
This is echoed pretty much across the board. For example, the Local Government Association, which broadly welcomed the Devolution White Paper last month, following on from last week’s devolution and reorganisation deadline for feedback said “we remain clear that local government reorganisation should be a matter for councils and local areas to decide.”
And so, earlier this month, all the Devon district councils issued a statement opposing devolution plans. Firstly, although supportive of the “genuine devolution of powers” from Whitehall to local government, the councils argue that “a single unitary council for the county risks diminishing local representation, with decision-making that is remote from the communities we serve”. And secondly, the eight councils state that any reform of local government in Devon should follow a period of consultation with residents, businesses, elected representatives and stakeholders, as “our objective must be to get this right for our residents and businesses: that cannot be achieved if we make rushed decisions that have not been given the serious consideration that they deserve.”
Whilst the Devon district councils’ leadership comprise both Labour and opposition Lib-Dems/independents, the Devon county council is Conservative-led – which has produced some party-political posturing, with a district leader accusing the county Conservatives of a ‘blatant’ move to keep power by applying to delay the county elections in May. Similar noises have been made – for example, nationally by Reform accusing the Tories of running scared by postponing local elections and in Essex where there is a backlash against ‘undemocratic’ council plans to scrap local elections this year.

Meanwhile, back in Devon, today the Devon Green party have issued a statement demanding “keep local government local”, following on from the Exeter Lib Dems “taking on ‘devolution’ in Devon” last month and a Lib Dem councillor accusing the government of turning the South West into ‘the wild west’.
So, with party political spats and confusion, as well as the broader non-partisan debate, it does appear that the noises over devolution plans are not quietening down…
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