Stratford Lib Dem councillors welcome WCC climbdown

Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC’s) decision not to go ahead with joining the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) before next May’s mayoral elections has been welcomed by Stratford District Council’s ruling Liberal Democrat group of councillors, which had expressed grave concerns about the idea.

 “Widespread opposition to the ridiculously tight timetable has pressurised the Conservative-run county council into a climbdown for now,” commented Lib Dem council leader Susan Juned. “But the matter is not closed. The WCC leader has said that joining the WMCA will be considered further, ahead of the next West Midlands mayoral elections in 2028.

 “WCC said any future decision would consider what’s best for the residents of Warwickshire. We would go further and demand that residents are given a say in such a huge constitutional change. Warwickshire residents should be given the opportunity to decide for themselves whether they want to compete with major Midlands cities for government money for transport, adult skills training and inward investment.

 “Local government should be close to residents and make a real difference to their everyday lives,” she insisted.

The Stratford Lib Dem group of 25 councillors highlights that no mention was made of Warwickshire joining the WMCA at recent local elections. Residents were not given the opportunity to have their say about Stratford District Council – along with four other Warwickshire districts and boroughs – automatically becoming a full WMCA member should the WCC sign up to the wider authority.

The group is concerned about the financial implications for a rural council like Stratford District. Noting that urban deprivation and higher population densities tend to attract more public funding, they point out that rural south Warwickshire stands to lose out when competing with large regional cities. They fear that Stratford district would be at the bottom of any priority list for improving local transport links, for example, or for investing in local people.