Motion supporting six-council authority voted down at Milton Keynes council meeting

Councillors voted down a motion seeking support for a six-council South Midlands authority at an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday October 21.

The motion sought to make an authority covering Milton Keynes, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire the council’s preferred option.

It called for further discussions between the six councils and asked the Government to consider the proposal.

Milton Keynes favours an authority covering Bedford, Luton, Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes, known as BLMK.

However, Bedford and Central Bedfordshire have not agreed to proceed, according to a joint statement from the Milton Keynes and Luton leaders published after the meeting.

Conservative group leader Cllr Shazna Muzammil, who put forward the motion, argued that including both Northamptonshire councils would create a stronger economic partnership.

“It’s about what an economic powerhouse Milton Keynes could become if we joined forces not only with our Bedfordshire neighbours, but with North and West Northamptonshire too,” she said.

She highlighted links between Milton Keynes, Silverstone, Cranfield and Luton Airport.

West Northamptonshire Council leader Cllr Mark Arnull backed the motion, saying: “Milton Keynes, your city is not an island.”

He said the area’s economies already operated together, with shared transport links, commuting patterns and investment opportunities.

Central Bedfordshire Council’s executive member for finance and highways, Cllr John Baker, urged councillors to consider other options, saying his council wanted more details before making a final decision.

But Milton Keynes City Council leader Cllr Jane Carr said a meeting with a Government minister the previous day had made clear that including Northamptonshire was not an option.

“The only footprint the Government will agree or consider is BLMK,” she said.

She warned that nearly £1 billion was at stake and said councils had until October 26 to confirm whether they were “in or out”.

Labour group leader and deputy council leader Cllr Lauren Townsend argued that Milton Keynes would have greater influence within BLMK.

Broadening it to six councils would give the city “less of a voice, less of a say, less influence”, she said.

Reform UK group leader Cllr Steve Swain questioned why a decision made in 2025 should restrict discussions in 2026.

The motion also sought to lift an instruction preventing cabinet from pursuing alternative mayoral authority arrangements unless the Government formally ruled out BLMK.

A separate proposal to suspend the standard 15-minute debate limit was also defeated.

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