Angela Rayner today halted Labour’s shake-up of councils to plunge the Government’s controversial reorganisation of local authorities into fresh chaos.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said it had withdrawn decisions across a swathe of council areas as it announced a review of plans.
It follows ‘updated and privileged’ legal advice and the review will allow ministers to ‘ensure the process is robust and aligns with the new Government’s plans to rewire the state’, the department said.
At least eight councils have launched legal challenges or were considering doing so over decisions announced while Keir Starmer was prime minister.
MHCLG said decisions on the reorganisation of councils in Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk have been withdrawn in light of new legal advice.
Plans for 14 other areas – along with Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and West Sussex – will also be reviewed and paused while this is carried out, it added.
Angela Rayner today halted Labour’s shake-up of councils to plunge the Government’s controversial reorganisation of local authorities into fresh chaos
Ms Rayner, the Communities Secretary, is set to tell Parliament in a statement later on Monday that the review of existing plans was requested by new PM Andy Burnham.
The department confirmed that local elections in May next year will go ahead on existing council boundaries.
Reorganisation in Surrey will not be affected by the review and the two new unitary authorities – East and West Surrey – will go live in April next year.
Labour is bidding to abolish the two-tier system of county and district councils in favour of new unitary authorities.
Ms Rayner, the Communities Secretary, is set to tell Parliament in a statement later on Monday that the review of existing plans was requested by new PM Andy Burnham.
She is expected to say: ‘As we are now more determined than ever to devolve power closer to the people we represent, it’s only right that as a new Secretary of State I make sure that everything we do is working towards that plan to change Britain, without delay.
‘The Prime Minister told the House last week, he was ‘prepared to look at local government reorganisation’ and he asked me as his Communities Secretary to ‘do that’.
Ms Rayner is due to add: ‘In that context, in light of legal advice, I want to satisfy myself firstly that the right process is in place, that it is robust, and of course complies with the law.
‘And secondly, I want to fully test whether our proposals for local government reorganisation meet the priorities of a new administration and a new Prime Minister and any additional considerations.
‘I do not take this lightly. I recognise the huge amount of work that has already gone into progressing reorganisation in each of these areas, and I am very grateful for it.’
Reform UK-led Kent County Council is set to consider a judicial review at a meeting on Tuesday after it did not receive a response from the Government to a letter setting out concerns.
The party also leads county councils in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, which all launched legal challenges to reorganisation.
Reform leader Nigel Farage said: ‘Reform UK not only argued that this Government’s plans for local government reorganisation were an unmitigated disaster, but we once again put our money where our mouth is.
‘Earlier this year we took on the Government and forced them to give the vote back to millions of people after Labour tried to cancel democracy.
‘Now, thanks to our judicial reviews in affected Reform-led councils, the Government has backed down on their plans yet again.
‘Only Reform had the backbone to stand up to these reckless plans. This is yet another embarrassing defeat for Labour. Only Reform backs real democracy.’
David Simmonds, the Conservatives’ shadow local government minister, said: ‘This is yet another total humiliation for this Labour Government, who have once again been exposed breaking the law in an attempt to force their top-down programme of local government reorganisation on communities.
‘Ministers are only backing off because they have been found out in the face of relentless Conservative opposition to their gerrymandering.
‘Their behaviour shows that Burnham and Rayner’s promise to empower local communities is completely hollow: their intention was always to dictate downwards.
‘Labour should come clean and put all non-privileged documentation about this process in the public domain. The public have a right to know the truth.’
