Minister says no to super council plans
A SENIOR Government minister says he will not force “unwanted” changes on councils as debate continues over a potential political shake-up in Leicestershire.
Secretary of State for Communities James Brokenshire told council leaders he would only back local government reorganisation where there was “a good deal of local support”.
Last week Conservative Leicestershire County Council leader Nick Rushton set out proposals to scrap his own authority and the seven district councils and replace them with a “new model council”.
Coun Rushton said the move could save at least £30 million annually and cut council tax bills by £50 to £100 a year.
However, the idea has not gone down well with some Tory MPs and district council leaders.
Coun Rushton has been urged to drop the plans but said he wanted to try to persuade his critics to join him in what he described as a “noble purpose”.
Mr Brokenshire, addressing the 2018 Local Government Association conference in Birmingham yesterday, said: “I know some of you have been reorganising the way you operate by, for example, combining the interests of your communities where there’s a good deal of local support and it involves credible geographies.
“I want to support this work, although I have no intention of forcing reorganisation on local government where it isn’t wanted or needed.”
Liberal Democrat county councillor David Bill said he had spoken to Mr Brokenshire after the speech. Coun Bill said: “He told me because this is a ‘blue on blue’ conflict he is unlikely to approve any change.”
Coun Rushton has stressed the change is needed to help deal with massive cuts to local government funding, which are likely to get worse as the Treasury looks sent to spend more on the NHS and defence.
He said he had also spoken to Mr Brokenshire and said: “It’s incumbent as the leader to persuade him of the political and economic need for this. The current system is broken.
“This will go through every level of scrutiny before we bring it to council before Christmas.
“What’s been lost by the gentlemen of the press is that we need this to get our strategic alliance for the East Midlands.
“That’s the only way we can compete with the West Midlands and stop it taking all our money.”
He said he did not want to get into a slanging match with critics of his plan, including Rutland and Melton MP Sir Alan Duncan, who warned the council leader to “bin the idea this week or else he would find himself in “personal difficulty”.