The Isle of Wight Council’s chair has launched a fresh attack on the speed and pace of Whitehall’s devolution agenda, saying they ‘simply whitewash my objections’.
Revealing his correspondence with the Local Government and English Devolution Minister, Jim McMahon, Councillor Karl Love has said none of the points he raised had been properly addressed.
East Cowes’s representative decried an ‘outrageously imposed timeline’ for submitting expressions of interest to be included on the Government’s fast-track devolution programme, in a letter sent to the Minister on 30th December.
Cllr Love’s letter said ‘good governance decisions’ must never be rushed and lamented a lack of time to involve Island town and parish councils in devolution discussions.
It said:
“This time frame is undemocratic in its application. Equality of opportunity and the right to be properly informed, consulted and for all the issues and questions to be properly considered, are denied in the pace and speed of requirement to respond.
“History informs us that when we rush or steamroller important matters through, mistakes happen, often having big consequences.”
Responding on 28th January, Jim McMahon said:
“The English Devolution White Paper set an ambitious new framework for English devolution, moving power out of Westminster and back to those who know their areas best and who can better represent your Island community.
“Devolution is all about bringing decisions closer to the people affected by them and for those decisions to reflect local circumstances.
“To drive this change, we need strong local leadership and empowered institutions and we need to do this at pace.
“I recognise this was a challenging deadline, and only 60 per cent of England have a devolution deal. We want to increase that significantly as soon as practical.”
Mr McMahon added he was ‘grateful’ to the Isle of Wight Council for rapidly responding to its plan.
His letter also mentioned an ‘opportunity for further consultation’ with Island communities, councillors and local councils as part of the devolution fast-track programme.
Anything the Raynor creature touches, turns to manure.
She is Labour’s No.2
Is this why he resigned only to re-sit as an Independent? Couldn’t get anyone else to agree with him? Or perhaps doesn’t like alliances on principle? The phrase ‘doesn’t play nicely with others’ springs to mind here.
Let islanders have a referendum on a devolution.
I am all for devolution, the island Numpty’s might not though,
only one way to find out.
Bring it on.
Hampshire has a population of 1.88 million and 78 councillors,or 1 councillor per 23000 residents, the IOW has a population of 140 thousand but has 39 councillors or one councillor per 3500 residents, the IOW has so many councillors with their nose in our trough.
That is why the Island is corrupt.
Look at Sandown charging people 50p
to use public toilets
Criminal
Bring on devolution, the Island needs it, we
will all be better off.