On Thursday 27 February, Nick Timothy MP put on record his strong discomfort at the delay in Suffolk’s local elections, which were due this year, and called for more powers for town and parish councils to act on behalf of residents on important local issues such as speeding and road safety.
To read Nick’s question to the Leader of the House of Commons, and the response in Hansard click here. It is also reproduced below.
Nick Timothy MP: In Suffolk, we are moving towards a unitary council as part of local government reforms. I put on record my discomfort that our local elections, which were due this year, have been postponed. The danger of the reforms, however, is that power will be taken further away from local residents. I want parish and town councils to be empowered to take responsibility for problems such as speeding and road safety. Can we have a debate on how we empower towns and villages to get things done directly for local residents?
Leader of the House of Commons (Lucy Powell MP): Although I hear the hon. Gentleman’s worry about the elections—the delay is only by a year, so that in areas such as his, we do not hold unnecessary elections this year ahead of mayoral elections next year—this is about devolving a huge number of powers to local areas, and those local areas have to be of a size to cope with those powers. I know from my own area in Manchester that, ward by ward, that is being felt. The devolution revolution is having a huge positive impact in my area, and I am sure that it will in his as well.
