Legal challenge to Cumbrian government reform to continue despite cost fears
A legal challenge against Local Government Reform will stand despite concerns from the scrutiny management board about "spiralling costs."
Cumbria County Council's Cabinet made a decision on September 23 to launch a legal challenge, or judicial review, into Local Government Reorganisation.
Robert Jenrick, who was Secretary of State at the time, accepted proposals to reorganise Cumbria into two unitary councils with an east and west split.
Critics of the split, particularly in Labour, believe it is designed to consolidate Conservative power in the north.
Conservatives believe the Cabinet is acting undemocratically opposing LGR as full council has indicated in a special meeting that it believes the legal challenge would be "a waste of tax payer's money."
They called-in the cabinet's decision, requesting that it is examined by the Scrutiny Management Board (SMB). After a meeting on Monday, the board sent the judicial review back to Cabinet to be reconsidered.
A spokesperson for the council said:
Liberal Democrats members have received criticism for abstaining on the vote to continue with judicial review despite voting on the scrutiny panel to refer the decision back to Cabinet.
Leader of the Lib Dems and deputy leader of the county council Peter Thornton has previously said he understands concerns about LGR but that council time would be better spent preparing for the transition.
Conservative councillor Stephen Haralsden said:
He said that the Lib Dems do not want to oppose Labour and lose their place in Cabinet.
Councillor Thornton said it is for the good of Cumbria not to upset the coalition they have with the Labour Party.
Cllr Thornton said:
He added: "I would agree with Stephen the Lib Dems don't want to bring the coalition to an end. We have a good coalition, on this one issue we have different points of view but that's no reason to bring a successful administration to an end.
"The alternative would be an untried, inexperienced administration which would not be the best thing for Cumbria over the next few months."
But he said that the party maintains it's stance on Local Government Reform: "We've just got to get on with the job and stop messing about."
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