- Stay Connected
Socialize
Abraham Lincoln
If given the truth, the people can be depended upon to meet any national crisis...
Guildford news...
for Guildford people, brought to you by Guildford reporters - Guildford's own news service
Interview: Council Leader Paul Follows on Local Government Reorganisation Pause
Published on: 8 Sep, 2026
Updated on: 8 Sep, 2026
Cllr Paul Follows
News that the Government is to pause local government reorganisation for all areas involved except Surrey came as a shock to everyone yesterday (September 7) outside Government.
See: Legal Challenges Halt Council Reorganisation Elsewhere – But Surrey Is Unaffected
In this interview, Dragon editor Martin Giles questions the leader of the West Surrey Shadow Authority on the issue, asking whether he should demand the reorganisation be paused here in Surrey too, what is the current status of the billions of pounds of legacy debt and why should “South Middlesex” be included in the new authority’s proposed name?
See also: Opposition Leader on Reorganisation Pause
Share This Post
Responses to Interview: Council Leader Paul Follows on Local Government Reorganisation Pause
Leave a Comment Please see our comments policy. All comments are moderated and may take time to appear. Full names, or at least initial and surname, must be given.
Chris Shorter
September 8, 2026 at 12:03 pm
I was born in Middlesex and would rather we all accept it doesn’t now exist and I remain amongst those who are unique in their county of origin.
History is history. Let’s not waste money on discussing a subject that we all thought had been decided. How far do idiots want us to go back in history just so they can say that their ancestry lies eight or more generations ago?
Move on! No more navel gazing.
Bernard Quoroll
September 8, 2026 at 12:43 pm
Governments usually try to hide behind the mantra that legal advice is confidential, not least because it often contains speculation about the prospects for success of competing arguments. Time is rapidly slipping away while that goes on.
It is common practice for like-minded councils to share information, including copies of Counsels’ Opinions and relevant arguments. It only takes a phone call between leaders or their chief executives.
Meanwhile the debt mountain continues unresolved. Our local politicians will not be forgiven for prevaricating, especially when Council Tax bills start arriving on doorsteps.
Bernard Quoroll is a former local authority CEO