Milton Keynes councillor writes open letter to Prime Minister on devolution
A Milton Keynes councillor has written an open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham on devolution and what she calls ‘the case for six.’
Shazna Muzammil, the leader of the opposition on Milton Keynes City Council has written a letter in which she claims that the city council’s administration is backing the wrong geographical strategic authority.
Cllr Muzammil says she believes a mayoral strategic authority based on Bedford, Luton, Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes, known as BLMK, is the wrong model.
She writes that she believes that West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire should both be included in the model alongside the four BLMK locations, termed ‘the case for six.’
In her open letter Cllr Muzammil says: “I am appealing directly to you to look again at what is happening in the South Midlands.
“Many residents across the South Midlands remain unconvinced that another layer of governance is needed, and some local authorities have raised the same doubts.
“I understand and we respect that view. But Government has made clear this is happening, so if a strategic authority is going to be created, the geography we choose matters enormously.
“I do not believe that submission should be read as evidence of a settled regional consensus.
“Significant questions remain - within Milton Keynes and among neighbouring authorities - about whether BLMK is the strongest economic geography for devolution.
“Central Bedfordshire Council has itself said that BLMK would be too small a footprint to carry real influence, and North and West Northamptonshire have consistently said they want to be part of a wider structure.
“We have the opportunity to build something considerably stronger by bringing them both back to the table.”
An extraordinary meeting of Central Bedfordshire Council is due to be held this evening (Wednesday), to debate the issue of devolution.
A motion to consider future devolution issues is due to be presented by council leader Adam Zerny, asking the local authority "to support him to continue engaging with the Government about devolution, while welcoming the recent clarity over funding and governance".
The motion adds a strategic authority “which covers a large part of the OxCam region is likely to be far more powerful than just Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes, and looks forward to seeing the finer detail before making a final decision.”
Councillor Zerny concludes the motion saying "the council believes there should be a government-funded public vote in the region before any final approval".
In a Facebook post sharing her open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham Cllr Muzammil added: “I've been speaking to other leaders, and there is no regional consensus.
“I believe Central Bedfordshire Council is not pleased with the BLMK proposal and thinks it's too small to have any influence.
“Bedford Borough Council too seems like it's sitting on the fence on this.
“Milton Keynes, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and North & West Northamptonshire already form an interconnected South Midlands economy.
“Before we settle for BLMK, shouldn't we at least ask whether bringing all six together could make us considerably stronger?
“If we're making a decision that could shape our region for the next 30 or 40 years, surely it is worth getting it right.”
Milton Keynes City Council has been approached for comment.