Local Government Reorganisation: Dump it, Don't Pause it. Bring in PR Now.

Angela Rayner Credit House of Commons

As a Green Party member, former councillor, and Unlock Democracy board member, I have opposed Labour’s local government reorganisation from day one. The scheme is massively expensive, offering zero return on billions in taxpayer pounds.

Worse, it is profoundly undemocratic. One could argue it is designed purely to favour Labour interests—some might call that political corruption.

Yesterday, Local Government Minister Angela Rayner announced a surprise pause to this flagship scheme, citing unspecified "legal issues".

In Thanet, this halts the 2028 merger of TDC, Dover, and Canterbury councils into a mega-sized East Kent Unitary Authority serving 500,000 people.

Let’s be honest: these "legal difficulties" are a cynical, face-saving distraction. The truth is that the Labour Government has finally realised the costs will be astronomic. Hard-pressed council tax and business rate payers will be left footing a bill which could easily be in the £billions. Furthermore, government claims about operational savings and efficiency improvements are simply untrue.

The Government also claims that replacing district councils with mega-councils benefits democracy by creating "fewer councillors and fewer elections". The opposite is true.

When looking at voter-to-councillor ratios, UK local government is already one of the most under-represented in the world. These plans will create "democratic deserts". Local people will struggle to get help from overstretched councillors representing tens of thousands of constituents across massive geographic areas.

There is a hidden truth Labour doesn't want you to know: these larger electoral districts are deliberately designed to favour big parties with wealthy donors. They price out smaller parties, community activists, and local campaigners, making it easier for Labour candidates to win.

If we want genuine democratic local government and devolved power, the path forward is clear:

• Introduce Proportional Representation (PR) for all local and parliamentary elections.

• Mandate local referenda for any future reorganisation plans.

• Keep local government local close and relevant to residents.

  
  

The Labour Government must completely scrap these reorganisation plans and introduce a bill for Proportional Representation instead.