Did You Know That Your Council Leaders Are Doing Deals About How You Are Governed?

 

"Devolution" the vampire coming out of the coffin
Image: Giphy.com

And cancelling elections, claiming all of it as "democracy"?

We do. And we've been acting to challenge them. Like a vampire, it's come out of the coffin...

And it threatens to bleed you dry, of your money and your voice. 

Since last year, Southampton Independents campaigner Andrew Pope has been contacting the leaders of Southampton, Portsmouth, Hampshire and Isle of Wight councils, plus others, to ask them their positions on so-called "devolution" as being promoted by the Labour Government.

Their answers have been highly disappointing. Instead of standing up to the Labour Government, they are giving in. 

If this all seems familiar, that's because it is. The vampire is rising.

Back in 2016, Southampton Independents defeated previous proposals, called "devolution", to change how Hampshire is governed, and we called for a Referendum. We achieved this by working with any and all political parties and those of no political party.

We stood up for residents who were being ignored by the Southampton Labour and Southampton Conservative MPs and councillors. Our councillor Andrew Pope was the only Southampton councillor opposing it, but others across the Region also opposed it.

Former Leader of Hampshire County Council Roy Perry said that a stake needed to be driven into the heart of the Solent Devolution Deal.

It appeared to be dead. Yet we hear that like a vampire, it it rising out of the coffin. 

The Council leaders of Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight councils are having conversations behind closed doors about a new devolution deal in the Solent area.

And by rolling over to the Labour diktats, they are complicit in cancelling elections, as decided by the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner this week.

Our position has not changed. Andrew Pope says:

"We demand a Referendum for Southampton residents, before any change to how we are governed.

Thet is true democracy, not deals done behind closed doors with elections benig cancelled." 

In response to the announcement of cancelling elections in May for a large portion of the country, six County areas will lose the right to vote on the performance of their Councillors at a time when both Conservative and Labour are at a low ebb, Councillor Marianne Overton MBE, Leader of the Independent Network of Councillors across England and Wales, said:

“Cancelling elections is denying residents the democratic opportunity to vote. And the excuse? Local Government Re-organisation for which there is no mandate!

“These actions were not on the general election manifestoes and no resident referendum.

“There is still no clarity on how the cost of reorganisation will be met beyond asset stripping existing councils. This will move democracy further away from residents, putting power into the hands of the few, not the many.

“In making these announcements the Government are disregarding the views of local people – both residents and the district councillors who have been elected to represent their residents.“

If you want to find out more and to get involved and to help fight back, please get in touch.here.