Staffordshire LGR paused as council leader claims victory

Staffordshire County Council leader Martin Murray responds to the Government’s decision to pause local government reorganisation proposals.

Statement from Councillor Martin Murray, Leader of Staffordshire County Council

Last year I said: “Their game, their rules, their referee.” But I still called foul.

In August, once Labour imposed its two-unitary model for Staffordshire, I said: “We needed VAR.” No wonder VAR came back with a foul.

Only Labour, with its new Prime Minister, could get a penalty and still score an own goal.

Today, Labour's local government reorganisation programme has effectively ground to a halt. The Government has paused proposals in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and a number of other areas across England, whilst withdrawing previous decisions in Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk after receiving what Angela Rayner described as "updated and privileged legal advice". The Secretary of State has now acknowledged that she must satisfy herself that the process is robust and complies with the law.

Reform UK warned from the beginning that this process was flawed. We argued that Labour's plans were rushed, poorly thought through and failed to command public confidence. More importantly, Reform did not simply complain about it. Reform-led councils took action through the courts, raising serious questions about fairness, consultation, the Government's criteria and legal compliance. And at the eleventh hour, Labour pulled the plug, just as they did when they tried to cancel elections.

For months, councils were told to work to Whitehall's timetable, commit officer time, absorb uncertainty and spend public money on a programme that Ministers are now being forced to review. Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, officers and staff worked tirelessly to meet Government demands whilst continuing to deliver vital services to residents.

If the Government now believes it must stop and review the process to ensure it is lawful and robust, then it is clear those concerns were entirely justified.

Many residents saw local government reorganisation for what it was: political gerrymandering dressed up as local government reform. Ministers dismissed those concerns. Yet here we are today with Labour forced to pause its flagship programme because of questions surrounding its own process and legal position.

The one piece of good news is that next year's planned Unitary and Shadow Council elections have been CANCELLED, and your traditional local council elections, on existing boundaries, will now go ahead whilst the Government's review continues.

This is a significant victory for common sense, local democracy and the people of Staffordshire.

However, serious questions remain.

How much public money has been wasted?

How many officer hours have been diverted from frontline priorities?

Why were councils pushed into costly preparations before Government had satisfied itself that the process was legally sound?

This Government must now answer those questions.

It must also reimburse councils for the money they have spent preparing for Local Government Reorganisation.

I will therefore be calling on Government to fully refund Staffordshire County Council for the costs incurred as a direct result of this flawed and now-paused process. That’s the taxpayer’s money, and taxpayers deserves it to be used in their interest.

I do want to place on record my personal thanks to the staff and officers of Staffordshire County Council, who have worked hard, professionally and in good faith whilst continuing to deliver vital services for residents under the incredible pressure this Government programme placed upon them. They did the work asked of them, and they should not be left carrying the cost of a failed Whitehall process.

My priority remains clear: protect services, support our staff, back our communities and businesses, and make sure Staffordshire does not lose out whilst Government works out what happens next.

We called foul. The Government has now been forced to stop the game and admit foul play has occurred.

For me, the fight has never been about politicians, Whitehall or party politics. It has always been about the people of Staffordshire.

We will continue to stand up for Staffordshire, continue to challenge decisions that are not in our county's interests, and continue to do what is necessary to protect our services, our communities and our local democracy.

The people of Staffordshire deserve better, and I will continue fighting to make sure they get it.