Brexit will save councils time and money

BREXIT will give town halls the chance to save billions by shedding pointless EU red tape, the umbrella body for councils said yesterday.

EU regulations mean that finding suppliers and fixing contracts can take as long as 18 months, the Local Government Association (LGA) claimed, and that delays from Brussels stifle efforts to help local economies.

It added that councils spend £55billion a year on goods, works and services but are tied down by EU regulations that say contracts have to be advertised across Europe. However, just 1.6 per cent of public contracts go to companies in other EU states. The LGA said a more efficient system could be introduced after Brexit and councils could choose local suppliers, demand that contractors pay a living wage, or train local employees.

LGA Brexit spokesman Kevin Bentley said new rules could ‘provide more community benefits and more growth opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses’.

He added that it would also ‘allow councils to promote local suppliers and local labour and ensure workers earn a decent wage’.