'This could actually remove democracy from the people'
The government’s decision to press ahead with Lancashire’s devolution deal has drawn a mixed response from some of the county’s dozen district council leaders – ranging from expressions of optimism to claims of betrayal. The so-called second-tier authorities were controversially not included in the negotiations that led to the agreement late last year between the previous Conservative government and Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council.
Although the latter option is the path the government has now taken, it comes with a caveat, revealed by the Local Democracy Reporting Service , that ministers hope to see Lancashire bring forward proposals for “deeper and wider devolution” by next autumn. The comment was made in a letter to the three top-tier leaders from local government minister Jim McMahon – and was set against the backdrop of a public push by the government for Lancashire ultimately to pursue a “gold standard” mayoral deal.
Cllr Atkinson added: "This is a centralised power grab – Keir Starmer has patronage over lots of things in the Labour Party, including having an influence over who is selected to be . He also holds the purse strings as the government. “I hope this is a stepping stone, but not towards a mayor – towards more money and the government seeing that county combined authorities can work just as well as mayoral combined authorities."
“A key risk in creating a combined authority is that it will become removed from the real lives of our residents. District councils are best placed to understand our communities and our boroughs. That is why all district councils need a clear and full role in devolution,” said Cllr Bradley. “When provided with the means to contribute, district councils provide local relevance and context. Continued engagement between district council leaders and the government will emphasise the value of local knowledge and will drive forward ambitious plans to benefit our local communities."
“Labelling this as a ‘transitional’ arrangement is nothing but a facade, wasting millions of taxpayers’ money at a time when pensioners and hardworking families are struggling with daily essentials. Despite the rhetoric, it is clear that Labour lacked a concrete plan and thus resorted to adopting the Tory proposals, which were the only option available."
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