Monday, February 09, 2009
Blears Kicks Unitary Authorities Into Long Grass
The EDP is reporting that Hazel Blears has virtually abandoned plans to create a unitary authority in Norfolk (and presumably Devon) by delaying any decision until July, by which time County Council elections will have happened. I'll make a prediction now. Eventually, the government will abandon this ill conceived project. And if they don't, the Tories should commit to reversing it, if by some misadventure they manage to impose it before May next year.
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8 comments:
Praise Be! East Devon, whose District Council is over staffed and inclined to ignore what locals want is nevertheless a) a lot closer to the grass roots than some large ‘thing’ run from 25 miles away and b) runs without debt which its proposed marriage partners do not - so the cost rise on an already very expensive rates bill would be substantial. As this area is full of retirees on fixed incomes (my latest private pension prediction has dropped 25% in 12 months whilst the electricity has gone up 27%) the result would be evil. But hey, we are a Tory neigbourhood so does this venal government concern itself about fairness – except to bail out Northern Rock for its own partisan purposes? As to joining Lowestoft to Norfolk; God in heaven (were their such a thing) Why? Except for administrative convenience. Anyone who knows the area (and I do) would consider it crackers.
Is anyone going to one day reverse the abolition of Berkshire?
Lucky you. We have been made to have it in County Durham (and in Northumberland) even though we were assured that it would only happen if the regional assembly were approved in the referendum. As, of course, it wasn't.
She's doing it for self preservation. Against massive opposition, Labour forced Unitaries on Cheshire. They were wiped out in the Unitary Elections.
And kicking it into the long grass just 10 days before the embarrassment of a hearing in the Appeal Court might just be the shrewdest move from Ms Blears.
It prevents a public spat between the Government and Boundary Committee who can barely disguise their contempt for one another.
At least the Treasury Solicitors have seen sense and called time on Ms Blears' "vanity project" recognising that it's madness to embark on this at a time the economy can least afford it.
Iain,
Firstly, you forgot Suffolk - shame on you!
Actually, there are some Tories in Suffolk who think abolishing the 8 councils and replacing with 'One Suffolk' is a great idea.
In these hard times, combining resources, streamlining departments and doing away with 7 lots of overpaid heirarchy might go down well with the electorate!
Where is the good old Conservative 'small government' philosphy these days?
ST
Yet Shropshire will still get a unitary authority that the public did not want.
Unfair. Who needed to be greased up before the next General Election in Norfolk?
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