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Local Government Reorganisation
13 July 2026
Lead MP
Alison McGovern
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Local Government
Other Contributors: 33
At a Glance
Alison McGovern raised concerns about local government reorganisation in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
The minister thanked the right hon Gentleman for his question and outlined the government's plans to reorganise local government. The aim is clearer structures, stronger councils, quicker decisions, more homes, and better services. She mentioned that unitary councils have been announced in five areas with elections held in Surrey. Structural changes orders are being brought forward as planned and new councils will go live in April 2028. Funding of £63 million has been allocated to support transition costs directly to councils, each receiving at least £900,000. The minister highlighted the opportunity for local leaders to have more funding, powers and capacity to grow their economies, build homes needed by communities, and create better public services.
James Cleverly
Con
Braintree
Question
Critiqued the minister's statement, mentioning past cancellations of local elections and lack of transparency in reorganisation processes. He questioned how councils can prepare for elections without necessary details like authority boundaries and ward boundaries.
Minister reply
The minister thanked the shadow for his question and stated that these reforms are carefully thought through and proceeding as per the timeline.
Question
Praised the right hon Gentleman for securing this urgent question. Raised concerns over local government reform affecting more than 200 councils, citing comments from the new LGA chair about real delivery concerns and posed questions on whether reorganisation would take resources away from frontline services.
Minister reply
The minister thanked the committee member and assured that discussions with the LGA were regular. She mentioned allocation of £63 million to support transition costs.
Question
Criticised Labour's approach as top-down Whitehall diktat without adequate consultation and raised concerns about the future plans of the right hon Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham) regarding local government reorganisation.
Minister reply
The minister responded that conversations with Andy Burnham were mainly about football clubs, emphasising the careful thought put into securing devolution.
Gareth Snell
Lab
Stoke-on-Trent Central
Question
Asked for insight on when decisions regarding strategic authorities would be made and when there might be elections for those so that devolved powers could be accessed.
Minister reply
The minister thanked the member and said she will include certain things in her statement later this week.
Bernard Jenkin
Con
Harwich and North Essex
Question
Asked if there should be a referendum in Essex on local government reform given YouGov poll results showing it is unpopular.
Minister reply
The minister stated she pays attention to opinion polls like all politicians.
Question
Requested the Minister to prioritise devolution in Lancashire and separate Burnley and Blackburn, mentioning benefits of having a mayor for cities such as cheaper buses and business investment.
Minister reply
The minister thanked Oliver Ryan and stated she keeps views of Members under close watch.
Karen Bradley
Con
Staffordshire Moorlands
Question
In four days' time, we will mark exactly two years since I first explained to Ministers how much the people of Staffordshire Moorlands do not want to be part of a greater Stoke local authority, do not want devolution forced on them, and want their say on who makes decisions about what happens there. Like my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich and North Essex (Sir Bernard Jenkin), may I implore the Minister for a referendum? We do not want this imposed on us in north Staffordshire; we want to have our say.
Minister reply
I am sorry to disappoint experienced and knowledgeable hon. and right hon. Members, but having referenda is not part of the local government reorganisation process. It is very important that we hit the milestones in the timetable that we have set out.
Question
In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, several options are being put forward for local government reform, which could benefit Peterborough greatly. Will the Minister reassure us that we will get the announcement, whatever it is, sooner rather than later, so that we can prepare? Did she hear Opposition Members say that Labour MPs have been briefed the details of what is to come? That allegation has been made against me, but I put on record that I have not been briefed, and no information has been leaked to me. That is a scurrilous rumour. Will the Minister put on the record that no MPs anywhere know the outcome or result yet?
Minister reply
It is fair to say that I am champing at the bit to make this statement, and I thank you, Mr Speaker, for your support in helping us to do that. My hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Andrew Pakes) has made his point clear.
Question
The Liberal Democrat administration on Hertfordshire county council has made huge strides forward in improving special educational needs and disabilities provision. We were delighted when the Government lifted the improvement notice, which had been imposed when the Conservatives were running the council. Just as families are starting to feel the benefit, we are really worried that local government reorganisation could disrupt the delivery of SEND and social care provision. What support will be given to ensure that those essential services for the most vulnerable people will not be disrupted by local government reorganisation?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Lady for her important and serious point. I have been working very closely with my colleagues in the Department for Education on this issue. A big change process is under way, and I would be happy to speak to the hon. Lady further about it.
Question
I welcome the Minister’s reassurance that an announcement will be made this week. Two proposals have been put forward for reorganisation in Warwickshire; like my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley (Oliver Ryan), I put on record my support for the two-Warwickshire proposal, because it most accurately reflects how people consider services. Would she say that that the only people who seem to support the one-Warwickshire solution are the Reform administration in Warwickshire, which has failed to improve the situation regarding potholes, buses, SEND or children’s services, and that people in my constituency would therefore really welcome elections taking place in accordance with the schedule?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for her contribution. She will understand that until we have made the announcement, there is little I can say in response to her point, but I will just say that councils deliver very important public services. We are introducing the local outcomes framework so that we can see transparently what councils deliver and what they do not.
Question
The Minister and I have had many exchanges on this topic, and she knows that I am focused on securing the best outcome for my constituents. We know that reorganisation in Hertfordshire is coming, but the uncertainty is not helping my residents or local councillors, so can the Minister confirm whether an option for Hertfordshire will be included in her announcement on Thursday? Can she also confirm whether MPs will be informed before any public announcement is made?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Gentleman for the many exchanges we have had. I know that he just wants the best for his constituents, as we all do. It might help the House if I explain the process we go through. We provide Members of Parliament in affected areas with a short briefing before the announcement is made. That is done for all Members of Parliament; it is what has happened to date, and what I anticipate will happen as and when I am able to make the statement. We will be able to talk more openly once that decision is in the public domain.
Question
Does the Minister believe, as I do, that if local government reorganisation is done correctly, it has the potential not just to reshape local government so that it is fit for the 21st century, but to help us secure much-needed economic growth?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for that really important point. This is not just about constitutional niceties or the importance of councils to government in this country, crucial though they are; it is about having the right-sized authority to grow our towns and cities, and to give young people and everybody else in this country the opportunities they deserve.
Question
In a week’s time, we will have a new, unelected Prime Minister, the right hon. Member for Makerfield. Can the Minister confirm whether the right hon. Member supports this local government reorganisation, or is he going to reorganise the reorganisation?
Minister reply
Last time I checked, my right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield had, in fact, been elected.
Question
The Minister will know the strength of feeling in Newcastle-under-Lyme in support of a Newcastle-only unitary. Will she confirm that Members of this House have not been told about any proposed boundaries or confirmed plans? The idea that some members of the LGA have been notified of some confirmed proposals before this House beggars belief. Also, what steps will the Minister take to ensure that local identity, civic heritage and a sense of community will be protected? In my view, we should support local communities like mine in establishing town councils to do just that.
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I have set out the process by which this House will be updated on the decisions, but if my hon. Friend has evidence of anything else that he is concerned about, he may well want to write to me to share that information directly.
Harriett Baldwin
Con
West Worcestershire
Question
In recent weeks in West Worcestershire, I have met local police and the police and crime commissioner; the police and crime commissioner is being abolished, and the police are being reorganised. I have met the local health commissioners; they are being reorganised, and Healthwatch is being abolished. I have met district councillors; they are being abolished, and their ability to make determinations on planning applications has been taken away. Can the Minister explain how any of this throwing everything up in the air is actually going to help my constituents, particularly the most vulnerable?
Minister reply
The approach we are taking is to put power in the hands of people and communities so that they can take decisions for themselves, because all the evidence is that if people with skin in the game take the decisions, we get better decisions, growth and better public services.
Question
To add to the list of my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire and Bedworth (Rachel Taylor), people who support a single unitary for Warwickshire include me as the MP for Rugby and the political parties at Rugby borough council and at Warwickshire county council. As the Minister considers her statement on Wednesday, could she give a little bit more thought to two important stakeholder groups in the new local government reorganisation world? One group is MPs—what role are we going to have when so much more power and responsibility is devolved? The other group is towns; we need to make sure that they have as much representation as possible. I know she has considered those things, and I would love to hear a little more about it.
Minister reply
I suggest to my hon. Friend that once I have actually made the announcement, perhaps we can have a chat about those things. As somebody who has had mayoral devolution in my area for more than a decade now, and who represents the great town of Birkenhead—recently shortlisted for town of culture—I have a lot of thoughts about this issue, which I will happily share with him.
Question
Torbay council is the most deprived local authority in the south-west of England. I would welcome the Minister’s assurances that rearranging the deckchairs with this local reorganisation will not detract from regeneration, which is a core driver for that local authority. The new Prime Minister is set to move No. 10 a further two hours away from the west of England. How will he be supporting the south-west?
Minister reply
I am not sure that all the hon. Gentleman’s questions were central to the subject of this statement, but he makes an important point, which is: what is the objective here? The objective is to grow our economy, so that we can deal with deprivation, particularly in seaside and coastal places, and have better quality public services to support people. That is the objective, and that is what I think we will achieve.
Question
I join you, Mr Speaker, and other Lancastrian MPs waiting in apprehension for the announcement on Thursday. Blackpool has put forward its proposal for four unitary councils in Lancashire, based on us achieving the best possible outcomes for people in Blackpool after losing £1.8 billion under the previous Government. I know the Minister will not be able to comment on the decisions until Thursday, but can she outline the situation with Lancashire and the mayoral pathway? We are falling so far behind Greater Manchester and Merseyside. We desperately need that investment today, so can we ensure that the train on that track keeps going?
Minister reply
As a fellow north-west MP and fan of Blackpool, I say to my hon. Friend that he is absolutely right. We need to stick to the timetable and get on with this, so that we can invest in Lancashire, in Blackpool and in everywhere else.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
I would like to think that if this Minister were Secretary of State, we would not be in a situation where 23,000 people were signing an online petition protesting against the carve-up of the New Forest in this local government reorganisation. Can she tell me: is there any truth in the report in The Times on 18 June that the Secretary of State had overruled professional advice from civil servants in three separate Departments to impose a gerrymandered solution on Essex county council?
Minister reply
I am sorry to say that I have not seen that report in The Times, but I would be very happy to write the right hon. Gentleman with a response to his question.
Luke Murphy
Con
Basingstoke
Question
Can the Minister confirm that Ministers will be considering representations from councillors and MPs on the interim warding arrangements? There is some concern in Basingstoke and across North Hampshire that urban areas could be disadvantaged by having a smaller number of councillors, as has been proposed.
Minister reply
Yes, we will consider representations from all stakeholders through this process.
Westbourne
Question
Most areas that will have local elections next year know what their local authority boundaries will look like, but residents of West Sussex are still completely in the dark. Those in Bersted and Pagham are worried about being put into a coastal authority that risks being bankrupt on day one. Will the Minister lay out how a deficit of £45 million will be plugged, and rule out using one authority to pay for the deficit of another?
Minister reply
Local government finances are challenging; when a council cannot make its finances work, all of us in the country pay the price in the end.
Toby Perkins
Lab
Chesterfield
Question
Can my hon. Friend confirm that she will be sticking strictly to the criteria that the Government originally laid out when reaching her conclusions?
Minister reply
Yes, I can confirm that. There is yet to be a campaign to undo the creation of the Wirral.
Mark Francois
Con
Rayleigh and Wickford
Question
Is it true that a statement was made in private to Labour councillors and activists in Essex? Is she aware that a YouGov poll has shown that 56% of people do not want Labour’s plans for local government reform?
Minister reply
I am now aware of the opinion poll, which I did not attend.
Steve Race
Con
Wycombe
Question
Will the Minister confirm that we will be moving ahead with unitary local government across the country, including Devon and Exeter?
Minister reply
As mentioned earlier, there is evidence from the Milburn review of child poverty that fragmented services are very bad for vulnerable people living in poverty.
John Glen
Con
Salisbury
Question
Before making her statement on Thursday, will she address the concern that the people of rural Wiltshire will be considerably worse off without having the opportunity to embrace a mayoral region?
Minister reply
Let me see if I have understood the right hon. Gentleman’s question. The fair funding review was put in place to reconnect funding with need.
Ian Sollom
Lab
Carshalton and Wallington
Question
The Government’s proposed carve-up of Hampshire ignores their preset criteria, has no mandate and splits up East Hampshire. Will the Minister confirm what assessment has been made of option D’s viability within the corridor?
Minister reply
There is obviously a limit to what I can say, given that the decision will be reported to Parliament later in the week.
Damian Hinds
Con
East Hampshire
Question
Does the Minister think that the advent of a new Prime Minister is a good moment to stop in its tracks something that would otherwise make his fiscal task harder?
Minister reply
I do not, because councils have worked extremely hard to follow the timetable.
Vikki Slade
Con
Newton Abbot
Question
Is the Minister able to deny a rumour that a Labour MP has undermined the four councils against the will of the councils?
Minister reply
I could spend all my time at this Dispatch Box confirming or denying rumours.
David Reed
Con
Stroud
Question
Does the right hon. Member for Makerfield agree with the proposed timelines and delivery for local government reorganisation in Devon?
Minister reply
I am sorry to disappoint the hon. Gentleman, but I am not here to answer questions on behalf of my right hon. Friend.
Calum Miller
Con
Bournemouth East
Question
In Oxfordshire, is it true that the original criteria set out by the Government will be followed?
Minister reply
As the hon. Member has indicated, we have set out a process and are sticking to it.
Alicia Kearns
Con
Rutland and Melton
Question
Nobody asked for this, and the lack of a mandate has been compounded by councils like Rutland county council refusing to engage with any opposition councillors. Will the Minister consider delaying the process?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady has made her points very clear.
Mike Martin
Lab
Ipswich
Question
There are a number of options on the table for Kent, and no matter which one is chosen, we will need to do some tidying up of ward and division boundaries. Will that be announced alongside the option chosen?
Minister reply
I will take away that point and endeavour to give the hon. Gentleman that information as soon as we can.
Shadow Comment
James Cleverly
Shadow Comment
The shadow criticised the government's approach as lacking a mandate. He pointed out that local elections were cancelled before and now these decisions are made without full details like authority boundaries, ward boundaries or legislative timetables. The process was questioned for allowing Labour councillors to redraw authority boundaries without independent review and briefings provided only to Labour MPs and councillors.
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