Let’s Get Real – Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Surrey – Part 2 by Jon Davies

When I first wrote about local government reorganisation in Surrey, my concerns centred on the absence of a meaningful public mandate, the lack of transparency, and the speed of the process. You can read Part 1 here: [[1]].

Since then, new revelations from the BBC here [[2]], and fresh commentary from the County Councils Network (CCN), have landed, and they have further deepened my unease. The issue is no longer just about whether and what reorganisation is happening, but about how biased, narrow and predetermined the process has already become.

The Numbers Game

Based on a freedom of information request, the BBC reports that the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has not undertaken any independent departmental analysis of the costs of the reorganisation of local government in the English counties, including Surrey. Instead, they have relied on a study conducted by PwC (Price Waterhouse Coopers) back in 2020, since updated in March of this year. The report suggested:

• £2.9bn in savings over five years if all 21 two-tier county areas became single unitary councils.
• £1.8bn in savings over five years if 29 new unitary councils were created, each serving populations of at least 500,000.
• £850m in additional costs over five years, with no long-term savings, if the system were replaced by 58 smaller unitary councils of around 300,000 people each.

In response to this, the Chair of the County Councils Network (CCN), Cllr Tim Oliver – who also happens to be the current Leader of Surrey County Council (SCC) – has argued that this proves the case for reorganisation, but only at the “right scale” – effectively suggesting that ‘bigger is best’ because more savings can be made if and when counties are reorganised into larger unitary authorities.

Illusion of choice…

The recent public consultation, which closed in early August, was presented as an opportunity for residents of Surrey to have their say. But, in reality, it has been nothing of the sort, as we made clear in our branch’s reply to the consultation: [[3]].

• The only options on offer were two unitaries or three unitaries.
• The option of no change (i.e. continuing with the two-tier system of county and Borough/District councils) was not even considered.
• Local elections were cancelled, stripping residents of their democratic right to express their views at the time they were due to be held.

The truth is that reorganisation is now a foregone conclusion. The only uncertainty now is which version Whitehall will rubber-stamp in the coming months. That isn’t a consultation; it’s a managed exercise in legitimising a decision that has already been made behind closed doors.

Problem of bias…

What makes all this hard to stomach is the lack of impartiality. Cllr Oliver has two hats in this matter. Not only is he chair of the CCN, but he is also Leader of SCC, which volunteered to be included within the first wave of the LGR process, and has submitted its preferred two-unitary model to the Government.

Moreover, because of the consequent cancellation of the elections we should have had in May, Cllr Oliver and his Tories are still in power; which they might well not have been, had those elections gone ahead. Indeed, Cllr Oliver himself might no longer be a councillor, given that his 2021 majority over his Liberal Democrat challenger was less than 800. And the presence of a Reform candidate in May would surely have significantly elevated the chances that Cllr Oliver would have lost his seat.

The overlap between Mr Oliver’s roles at CCN & SCC demonstrates a bias, and should surely call into question the independence of CCN’s declaration that reorganisations into larger scale councils are the only ones that make financial sense.

My view is that CCN is simply offering a polished endorsement of SCC’s ‘pre-chosen’ two-unitary authority option, and I believe that residents of Surrey ought to be made aware of this and should be entitled to ask further questions.

What’s at stake…?

Beyond the financial spreadsheets, democracy itself is what is most at stake here. Fewer, larger Councils means fewer Councillors and fewer voices to represent local communities. Decisions about housing, planning, and services will all be made further away from us the People. Surrey risks being left with governance that is not only more distant, but also potentially more expensive.

Time to pause…

If this process is to command the support and trust of the public going forwards, I think that it should be paused, and preferably, reset.

1. Pause the current proposals until independent costings are published for each model, including transition costs and dealing with the outstanding debts.
2. Reinstate democratic legitimacy by holding elections where they were cancelled.
3. Offer a real choice through a county-wide referendum, which includes the option of retaining the existing system.
4. Guarantee transparency so residents can see clearly who pays, who saves, and what changes to representation will mean for them.

Democracy before deals

To conclude, I believe we deserve better than this illusion of choice that is being offered. We should have the right to decide whether this current form of local government reorganisation should happen at all, as it strikes me as though it has been put together behind closed doors by parties that include both the Labour government and the Surrey Tories.

The BBC’s reporting has shone a brighter light on the financial arguments surrounding LGR, and the commentary by CCN has exposed a far bigger scandal in terms of the bias of Cllr Oliver and the increased potential towards a deficit in democracy for the residents of Surrey.

Anything less than holding local elections, combined with a county-wide referendum, risks leaving us with a model of governance that is unsustainable, and more importantly, undemocratic.

Jon Davies is Secretary of Reform UK Godalming and Ash branch.

[[1]] https://reformpartygodalmingash.uk/lets-get-real-local-government-reorganisation-lgr-in-surrey-by-jon-davies/

[[2]] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj9wxnlnrxdo

[[3]] https://reformpartygodalmingash.uk/reform-uk-godalming-and-ash-response-to-consultation-on-local-government-re-organization-in-surrey/