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Letter: Anyone Who Thinks Local Government Reorganisation Will Save Money Is Deluded
Published on: 12 Jan, 2025
Updated on: 12 Jan, 2025
From Peter Hyde
In response to: ‘Devolution’ is Happening ‘Whether We Like It or Not’ Warns County Council Leader
Genuinely local government will cease when the new devolution system is completed. There will still be three tiers of councils. A strategic authority with a Mayor with new personal powers, large more remote unitary councils plus town and parish councils. And no doubt new town councils for places like Guildford.
Power will be in fewer hands with small cabinets of members selected by council leaders. There will be a diminished role for most elected councillors.
Anyone who thinks this will save money is deluded. Back in 1974 as finance director of a new council created by a merger of eight smaller authorities I spent the first few months of my service attending public meeting to explain the substantial rate increases that year!
See also: County Council Elections ‘Must Go Ahead’ Say Surrey Council Leaders
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Anthony Mallard
January 12, 2025 at 1:57 pm
England currently has in effect, an elected dictatorship. I know its the electorate’s fault for handing an overwhelming majority to the Labour Party and that we could not continue with the incompetence of the Conservatives any longer. We were between a rock and a hard place.
However, the Labour government appears to intend to push through, with indecent haste, its devolution plans, which even if adequate funding is initially devolved from the centre, history shows that it will be soon inadequate as a consequence of increases from central government, that have not kept pace with inflation, in a very short time. Any cuts in service will then be due to poor financial planning by the local governing body not central government. A good political trick!
It will also fly against the former political mantra that decisions on local matters are best made locally and not centrally. To compound this travesty, the Conservatives on the county council appear to be pressing ahead, against significant opposition from local councils and the apparent wishes – if the current survey is believed – of the population, with a postponement of the May elections for a year or most probably longer.
I despair. We have, as I remark, effectively a centrally elected dictatorship and now a similar situation exists in the county, as it dictatorially pushes ahead with its request to government. England appears to be going to hell in a handcart!