Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Wales Labour at odds over council reorganisation
The rumours are that this is the week that the Welsh Public Services Minister will be publishing his map of what local government in Wales should look like after reorganisation. This will be just in time for next week's Welsh Local Government Association Conference in Swansea.
My views on this issue are set out on the Institute of Welsh Affairs website here. If we are to have our third reorganisation in 40 years then we need to get it right. We wont do that by moving councils around on a map.
We need a proper exercise, preferably utilising the boundary commission, to produce sustainable councils which properly reflect natural communities and which are elected by the single transferable vote method so as to ensure that the new councils are representative, transparent and accountable.
The WLGA Labour group have been meeting today and presumably have been given a preview of the proposed map by the Public Services Minister. As this twitter exchange initiated by the deputy leader of Flintshire Council indicates, they are not happy.
All the signs are that the Labour government's failure to take people with them on this reform and their eagerness to get a quick fix is not going well. The ramifications within the Wales Labour Party could well prove to be the best spectator sport on offer this side of the start of the new football season.
My views on this issue are set out on the Institute of Welsh Affairs website here. If we are to have our third reorganisation in 40 years then we need to get it right. We wont do that by moving councils around on a map.
We need a proper exercise, preferably utilising the boundary commission, to produce sustainable councils which properly reflect natural communities and which are elected by the single transferable vote method so as to ensure that the new councils are representative, transparent and accountable.
The WLGA Labour group have been meeting today and presumably have been given a preview of the proposed map by the Public Services Minister. As this twitter exchange initiated by the deputy leader of Flintshire Council indicates, they are not happy.
All the signs are that the Labour government's failure to take people with them on this reform and their eagerness to get a quick fix is not going well. The ramifications within the Wales Labour Party could well prove to be the best spectator sport on offer this side of the start of the new football season.
