Principal Local Authorities (Grounds for Abolition) Bill

Louise Ellman Excerpts

Friday 1st December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Chope]

It would put a lot more pressure on councils to agree. It would mean that no individual council or group of councils could impose a majority opinion on the minority. We are talking about the essence of local democracy. There is nothing more local than a local district council that is accountable to its own electors. From time to time, the Government have suggested that it would be appropriate to abolish that level of local democracy, but I think that is anathema. It should not be done unless there is full-hearted local consent from elected councillors and local people.

[Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside) (Lab/Co-op)]

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

[Mr Chope]

I will not, actually, because I have only one more minute to go.

This is analogous to the EU referendum. We wished to take back control over our national democracy, so why should we wish to take away from local people and their local councils the right to decide their own future and therefore potentially force them to surrender valuable assets and control over vital services such as planning, the allocation of housing and so on? During the Adjournment debate to which I referred, the Minister said that those were very important matters.

I will not be able to finish my speech today, but I hope that there will be an opportunity for the debate to be adjourned until a time when, with any luck, the need for it will have evaporated.