My constituents will be aware that I have deep reservations about the Government’s reforms to local government. The top-down reforms will strip people of genuine local say and allow construction on our precious green belt.
My involvement in the Westminster Hall Debate regarding Local Government Reform, today, was directed in questioning the motives of ministerial decision for Strategic Unitary Authorities. I raised the frustrations felt by local people as they have largely been excluded from decision-making, and I raised my long-standing concerns about the purpose of reform.
As the Shadow Minister, I was delighted to contribute to this debate and challenge the current government on its plans for local councils. I raised the issue of elected representation for constituents and highlighted the disparity in the level of democratic representation in this country compared to our counterparts in Canada, France, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. It is staggering that Labour want to remove more local accountability and representation. I raised this with the Minister to ensure that local people maintain their local voice.
I then turned to the sensitive situation we face in the country, I outlined the importance of having credible local leadership to respond to these challenges effectively. Local government is not as the former Minister stated it to be: ‘a delivery mechanism for central government policy’. But rather an opportunity for leaders of neighbourhoods and communities to genuinely affect decision-making and make a difference locally.
I posed a number of questions for the Minister to consider in the hope that we may understand how the new reforms will impact local people and their daily lives.
