Hotchilidog
Well-known member
- Jan 24, 2009
- 9,305
You may like to say that I couldn't possibly comment....
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[Politics] mega councils '26 no thread ?
- Thread starter wardy wonder land
- Start date
ROSM
Well-known member
That's not quite what the proposition is.
It's to have a mayor of sussex (same as the mayor of south Yorkshire or greater manachester for example). But sussex will be split into 3 administrations each of c500k people. Brighton and hove is currently c250k but if it merged with most of Worthing and adur (currently c350k people) then that makes a sensible area (or if it took all of adur, some of Worthing and the peacehaven part of lewes district council).
Then the remainder of west sussex can be an administration. the remainder of east again would be one too. In effect we do away with district councils.
Power is then devolved from Westminster to a rep body across sussex made up with elected officials from each council (a bit like a cabinet in a coalition govt) headed by the mayor.
In this day and age with tech, having a local councillor for <5k people isn't as much a necessity as it was. In my own area for example it's now becoming clear how a local councillor can exert way too much power over a small community with very few checks and balances in place
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Fair enough - the Argus description is somewhat vague. That said it does add both another level of bureaucracy and also consolidates a lot of power into a single person's hands - i.e. the mayor.
Absolutely don't agree with your statement I've highlighted though. In Hangleton we've had a number of issues where it was helpful to have a local councillor to get them sorted - when they're local they tend to be much more engaged in local issues. In our case we had the pitbull Dawn Barnett and two other very capable councillors in Nick Lewry and Tony Janio (thankfully Timmy never got voted in). Putting aside their party memberships it always helped that they were local - less than a 5 minute walk from my house - to enable locals to engage. I really don't think local councillors will have the same leverage within a super council spanning the whole of Sussex.
So, to be clear, some think it is a great idea, some think its a bad idea, some people don't care and some people don't understand the question.
It makes complete sense and always has done that single conurbations have one administration. For many reasons including strategic planning, efficiencies. They are to all intents one city. Dotted lines on a map a quirk of history.
ROSM
Well-known member
I would argue it reduces a level because at the moment if you live in newhaven you have newhaven town council, lewes district council, West Sussex county Council and the department of regions (whatever its currently called) at Westminster level.
Going forward for many items these will be devolved from Westminster mayor/mayoral admin committee. And below that you have West Sussex and then maybe newhaven.
So at least one level less and maybe two.
I'm not dismissing all local councillors. But it's possible in a 2 cllr ward to have one very powerfully voiced person drive their own agenda locally whether it's raising complaints against local businesses they've fallen out with, or silencing opposition to actions by local businesses they get on with, or not publicising things from local consultation so they can view their own way.
But there will still be local councillors albeit they may have more people to support than they do now
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Gabbiano
Well-known member
Lenny Rider
Well-known member
- Sep 15, 2010
- 6,267
So no more Worthing Borough Council?
Dick Swiveller
Well-known member
- Sep 9, 2011
- 9,756
Less jobs for NSC arsehats to stand for? I'm in.
deletebeepbeepbeep
Well-known member
- May 12, 2009
- 22,184
If Brighton & Hove merge would people want to merge with:
a) adur and worthing
b) mid sussex or
c) lewes
a) adur and worthing
b) mid sussex or
c) lewes
Lenny Rider
Well-known member
- Sep 15, 2010
- 6,267
Is this all about the party in power, producing a system with large enough boundaries creating a the possibility of them never getting voted out?
[Sussex] - One Sussex - time to unify?
From the Sussex Facebook page: Modern local government areas such as ‘East Sussex’ and ‘West Sussex’ are both artificial inventions, which were manufactured in Whitehall (via the Local Government Act of 1972), can equally, also be scrapped at the will of any incumbent new parliament. Therefore...
www.northstandchat.com
Next step - abolition of the House of Lords, and a senate-style second chamber formed of elected mayors/senators
- Apr 5, 2014
- 27,323
Not in Sussex it wouldn't be. I'm pretty sure Labour never ran any of those councils and never will.
ROSM
Well-known member
Not really, no. Yes it was the the labour manifesto at the last election (and isn't it good to deliver on a manifesto promise) but actually in Sussex, despite brighton and hove and Worthing and adur having significant labour support, with east and West Sussex added its more than possible it would be a Tory mayor (just like Katy Bourne is the tory pcc for sussex)
First bit hopefully - second bit no.Next step - abolition of the House of Lords, and a senate-style second chamber formed of elected mayors/senators
schmunk
Well-used member
So just "B&", then...?
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Lewes Lib Dem MP brought this up in the House of Commons. He is still a county councillor (East Sussex), and at the vote, all the non Conservative councillors voted against this, but unfortunately the Chair had the deciding vote.
Personally I cannot wait for the Crodo “Who should be mayor of Sussex?” thread
keaton
Big heart, hot blood and balls. Big balls
- Nov 18, 2004
- 10,053
I think you meant to post this on the thread about redrawing constituency boundaries last year?
Or the voter id one?
Lenny Rider
Well-known member
- Sep 15, 2010
- 6,267
