Lib Dems and Labour vote to keep unelected regional assembly

 Lib Dems and Labour vote to keep unelected regional assembly

Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors have voted to keep the unelected South West Regional Assembly going.  The vote took place at an assembly meeting last Friday.  Conservatives had proposed the scrapping of the body, which drafted the Regional Spatial Strategy. 

Despite the impending scrapping of the Assembly’s planning powers, which the Government will pass to the unelected Regional Development Agency, Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors have refused to support calls to scrap it.  With the additional votes of the so-called Social and Economic Partners, which include trade union representatives, the Conservative call to scrap the assembly was defeated. 

It is unclear how much the decision will cost local councils, who have to contribute to the assemblyÂ’s running costs.

Cllr Barry Dare, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, commented:

“Labour and the Liberal Democrats are committed to the unelected regional assembly and committed to wasting taxpayers money.  When we should be sending the Government a strong unified message, rejecting the Regional Assembly and the RSS it dreamt up, Labour and the Liberal Democrats are throwing it an expensive lifeline at the taxpayers expense.”

Cllr Paul James, Leader of Gloucester City council commented:

“A Regional Board of Leaders has already been formed to take the Assembly's place, so why on earth we need both bodies running in parallel is beyond me.  Some people just like grandstanding at the taxpayer's expense and can't let go."