Andy Burnham's big new plan just got torpedoed - you couldn't make it up. The Prime Minister's pledge to devolve power from Westminster to Britain's regions faces a significant obstacle as plans to redraw local council boundaries emerge.
Council shake-up plans
Before Steve Reed resigned with a very lengthy letter, he as the secretary of state in charge of local government was overseeing plans that would see local council boundaries redrawn across the country, with district and county councils replaced with single, unitary authorities that run all municipal services.
On Thursday, officials confirmed that the proposal would impact: Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen; Derbyshire and Derby; Devon, Plymouth and Torbay; East Sussex and Brighton and Hove; Gloucestershire; Hertfordshire; Kent and Medway; Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland; Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and Northeast Lincolnshire; Nottinghamshire and Nottingham; Oxfordshire; Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent; Warwickshire; Worcestershire.
Local representation concerns
I covered provincial authorities during my time as a local news reporter, and briefly worked for a council. I saw how district councils stand up for their respective areas and battle for their interests. Britain is composed of a rich variety of places, each with their own aims and problems that create a rich, national symphony.
There are advantages to large authorities, as Mr Burnham will know, having been the Mayor of Greater Manchester. They ensure that large cities can get things done and have more of a say. I lived and worked in the East Midlands before moving to London a few years ago, and I was very pleased when the region got its own combined authority. The region is unappreciated and underfunded, but now it will be able to conduct itself with more heft.
But they must work in tandem with district councils, so that residents' voices are heard as much as possible. District councillors - often serving on county-wide authorities as well as more localised ones - know their patches best, and getting rid of them will eliminate a source of valuable knowledge and experience that Mr Burnham will need to achieve his admirable goal.
Criticism of the plan
Mr Reed called the current system "inefficient". He may have a point to an extent. Vital upgrades to infrastructure need to be approved, and housing needs to be built, for example, which can be interrupted by planning committees on district councils. But the current plan reminds me of Jeremy Clarkson comedically trying to fix a car engine on Top Gear with a hammer. It's too blunt.
Adapt to locals' concerns with solutions, rather than bulldozing them outright. Or introduce new last resort powers that make it easier for planners to give the green light to projects in the face of overly petty concerns. But do not completely remove a vehicle for people to have their say. Not everywhere will benefit as a result of the plans, especially in more rural areas. A lot of places across the country are already feeling powerless and left behind, however much of a cliche some people like to suggest it is. Let's not ensure that they stumble even more.
