Lib Dems Support Devolution Decision

Liberal Democrat Councillors from Warrington have given their support to plans to join a devolution priority programme along with Cheshire East and Cheshire West & Chester. The sub-region has now been given the green light by the Government to be part of the priority programme.

On 16^th December, the Government published the English Devolution White Paper. The day afterwards, the leaders of the three Councils published a statement giving their support noting that devolution was going to become the ‘default way of working’ and would bring significant power and funding to our region.

An agreement is not about merger because individual councils would retain their current responsibilities and continue to provide services for local people. However, devolved authorities could jointly have more influence over:

• Transport and infrastructure
• Skills and employment support
• Housing and strategic planning
• Economic development and regeneration
• Environment and climate change
• Health and wellbeing and public safety

Liberal Democrats have long championed the cause of devolution of power from central to local government and can justifiably claim they have supported the principle for longer than the other main parties. In England government is more centralised than in most comparable democracies. Decisions should be made at the lowest practical level.

The Conservative Opposition Leaders in the two Cheshire Authorities have written to the Government calling for the devolution proposals to be delayed for a year. They claim that the Councils have neither the operational capacity nor the financial sustainability to deliver an effective devolution programme in time for mayoral elections in 2026.

We disagree with the Conservatives because we will be part of a priority programme, and we need to get round the table with government as soon as possible. Being at the front of the queue will give us the best chance of capitalising on the potential benefits including funding which we all desperately need.

The reasons that several Councils have asked for this delay is simple. They are scared stiff of losing badly at the elections this May to Liberal Democrat or Reform candidates and a collapse in support would threaten the leadership of Kemi Badenoch.