My constituents will be aware that the Government is pressing ahead with a top-down approach to devolution. While this doesn’t affect London Boroughs, it will have a profound effect on residents across the country.
The feeble attempts to reorganise local government have, so far, done nothing but cost money and cause uncertainty for local council leaders and residents. It became apparent earlier this month that the Government was preparing to unveil further devolution plans following its botched cancellation of this year’s local elections.
We have seen journalists start to report on government decisions around this matter before MPs had been informed of the changes coming. It is fast becoming a trait of this Government to ignore an essential part of parliamentary convention whereby MPs are informed of key decisions first so that they can be scrutinised and challenged. Without it, ministers are essentially bypassing one of the key mechanisms in which they make themselves accountable to Parliament.
Therefore, I raised this through a Point of Order in the Chamber this afternoon. It is evident that the Government is seeking to obscure the process as much as possible as they know their plans are deeply unpopular.
