I just presented my petition about local government reorganisation
I want to ensure your voices are heard, so despite Labour pausing its local government reorganisation (LGR) plans for Devon, I still presented my petition last night.
Thanks again to everyone who signed the petition, which called for Labour to reverse its plans to carve-up Devon. They still haven’t committed to doing that. Though I am hopeful that through this review they’ll realise how poorly thought out their original decision was.
All they need to do is look at a map and they will see how unfeasible a new 110-mile Devon Council is. What is so frustrating about this situation is that sensible plans were on the table. Both Devon County Council and the District Councils proposed ideas which were workable and didn’t leave rural Devon behind.
This whole argument was never about being against LGR. It was about wanting the government to conduct itself in accordance with its own words. They spoke of devolution being from the ground up. Of having local buy in. And listening to what communities want.
Nothing about their behaviour last time matched these words. I will continue pushing to ensure next time is different.
It's incredibly frustrating to hear how "sensible plans were on the table" but seemingly disregarded in favor of something as unfeasible as a 110-mile Devon Council. The disconnect between the government's rhetoric of "devolution from the ground up" and their actual behavior in this situation is concerning, showing how local communities often feel their voices aren't truly heard, almost as if different processes are chained together without proper integration. It truly underscores the challenge of ensuring local input genuinely shapes policy.