Conservatives on Cornwall Council continue to press case for reducing Councillor numbers
Background (a long story simplified)
- A law was passed to make democratic representation as equal as possible across the country. To make every MP & Councillor roughly represent the same amount of people.
- The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) set Cornwall Council (CC) a task to look at the number of Councillors in Cornwall (to make a reduction in numbers)
- CC have for the last year and more consulted and met about it. They didn’t really want to reduce the number at all but in the end suggested 99 as the number of councillors needed to run Cornwall Council (for the election in 2021).
- Alternative suggestions were submitted to LGBCE, notably from Cornwall Conservative Group for 85 councillors, whilst another suggested staying at 123.
- LGBCE came back suggesting 87 councillors.
- LGBCE extend initial consultation period to August 7th
- Council voted on July 25th to recommend 99 suggestion, defying commission
- The review will, in the end, also include the redrawing of Town & Parish council boundaries
Conservatives on Cornwall Council have slammed the Liberal Democrat-Independent administration for continuing to push for Cornwall Councillor numbers to stay above the number that has been recommended by the Boundary Commission.
In a vote at last week’s Full Council, Cornwall Council voted to again ask the Boundary Commission, the independent body responsible for determining the size of elected bodies, to consider reducing Cornwall Councillors from 123 to 99.
This is despite the Boundary Commission previously rejecting an identical figure and a higher one, and making its own recommendation that the number of Cornwall Councillors be reduced to 87.
Commenting, Conservative Group leader Phil Seeva said:
“In the run up to the Local Elections in May, the Conservatives in Cornwall campaigned to reduce the level of waste and number of Councillors on Cornwall Council.”
“We submitted our own recommendation to the Boundary Commission for 85 Councillors and were pleased to see them come back with a number of 87 that was similar to ours.”
“With the Conservatives now the largest Group on Cornwall Council it is clear the public agrees with us that there is a need to cut waste and councillor numbers, and that Cornwall Council can be run more efficiently.”
“However, yet again it is clear that the Lib Dems have ignored public opinion and gone the other way. The fact that they have wasted yet more Cornish taxpayer money in having more meetings to make a different recommendation to the one the experts have already made, when in fact it will be the Boundary Commission who will make this decision whether they agree with it or not, just shows their continuing disregard for the people of Cornwall.”
“We urge the Lib Dems to stop this waste of money and resources and look forward to being on a Cornwall Council that is leaner, better run and works on behalf of the people it has been elected to represent.”
Cornish Stuff 