Greens in Kent are calling for a democratic system that really listens to local people, provides effective public services and empowers stewardship of our natural environment – rather than more centralised and unaccountable councils. They have criticised the failure to fund local government properly and called for improvements in funding.
Co-Chair of Kent Greens, Cllr Laura Manston, has spoken out against the government’s chaotic plans for local government reorganisation.
Cllr Manston (Sevenoaks District Council) said, “Labour’s White Paper claims to give more powers to Kent to improve efficiency and save money. Greens strongly agree that local government needs an overhaul, and much better funding. However, it must be done democratically and after full consultation.
Labour’s manifesto made no reference to the plans in the White Paper which they tried to rush through under the radar.
Conservatives at KCC, and Labour in Medway, agreed on January 10th to abolish Kent’s councils, without any proper plan for their replacement. They also voted to cancel the May elections. This would have kept them in charge of deciding how any new unitary councils will be formed without democratic accountability.”
Leader of the Greens at Kent County Council, Cllr Rich Lehman (Swale Borough Council) says, “The plan to impose a Mayor in Kent is now on hold. Yet Kent is still being forced to go through reorganisation. The District Council Network has exposed the claim that unitary councils of over 500,000 people are better as being without evidence, yet Kent councils are still expected to present a case for three or four unitaries by March 21st, prior to the May elections.”
Cllr Stuart Jeffery (Green, Maidstone Borough Council) says, “Devolving power from Westminster is a good thing but it seems that for Kent it comes at a price, the centralisation of council powers, and with no savings to address the financial crisis in local government. If we have to have bigger councils then they must work for local people and the councillors need to be accessible. Any change to unitaries must be back up by improvements in funding from national government or it will simply spread the crisis further and deeper.”