The Green group, who form the official opposition to Reform UK at the county council, have spoken out against the devolution deal for Norfolk and Suffolk which was tabled at today’s Cabinet meeting.
The Cabinet voted to agree to set up a mayoral authority with Norfolk County Council which would see voting membership from both Reform-run councils plus the elected mayor. The mayoral elections are scheduled for 2028, so the mayoral authority will be in place without a mayor until then, run by constituent members chosen by the Reform UK councils.
Green councillors spoke out in the meeting about how representation from local district and borough councils would be assured, and how scrutiny would be managed at the authority, given that scrutiny and audit functions at political authorities involves representation from opposition groups to ensure members are held to account for their decisions.
They also questioned that the ‘deal’ involved any new powers for local communities, as the powers given to the new mayoral authority were those that were currently being delivered closer to home by local councils.
Andrew Stringer, Leader of the Green group and their spokesperson for Local Government and Devolution, said:
“The Reform UK administrations at Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils are keen to portray themselves as having great success for the devolution deal they have agreed with the government.
However, from what we can see, the deal does not include devolving down any powers from central government.
Local transport, economic development, skills, public health and protection and the environment are all powers that have been taken from local councils, so this means that rather than devolving power closer to local communities, it will be taking them further away, to a mayoral authority which covers two counties.
Apart from arranging their own seats at the table, it is difficult to see how this can be called a successful negotiation for Reform UK, or of any benefit to Suffolk’s communities they were elected to represent.”
