Labour pauses planned Devon council carve-up!
Can we pop the champagne? No, not quite yet. But I am relieved the government has paused its plans to carve-up Devon.
In truth, they had backed themselves into a corner over LGR by choosing an option that was unworkable. Everyone – bar Labour politicians in Exeter and Plymouth – could see this. It was a question of when, not if, the government would see sense.
This argument was never about being against LGR. All we wanted was for the government to listen and prioritise local concerns over political interests. That didn’t happen this time with the government opting for a proposal rejected by 69% of those consulted. Next time must be different.
The government has paused their plans and will now conduct a review. I hope that during this review, they root their decision-making in the values of devolution that Andy Burnham advocates. If they had done this from the start, they wouldn’t be in this mess.
It's a relief to see the pause, especially after such overwhelming rejection from residents. When local concerns are sidelined for political interests, the whole process can become as complex and confusing as a game of town of salem, with hidden roles and motivations. Let's hope the review truly listens this time.