Devon County Council tells Prime Minister not to ignore rural areas

Devon County Council has joined a campaign to ensure rural areas do not lose out on devolution.

Devon’s Conservative deputy leader John Clatworthy has signed a powerful letter from county councils across England to Prime Minister David Cameron warning him not to ignore devolution for rural areas in favour of the big cities.

The letter, from the County Councils Network, says:

“We were disappointed that during your statement last Friday morning you only spoke of empowering ‘our great cities’.

“The 37 county councils and county unitary authorities represent 47 per cent of the English population – some 23 million people.

“We agree that empowering city regions is essential to any new English devolution settlement.

“But the great counties of England have an equal role in ensuring the economic success of the UK and delivering a fairer constitutional settlement for England.

“Talking only of devolution to city regions risks alienating a huge swathe of voters.

“Counties have the scale, capacity, vision and ambition to be full and equal partners with our peer authorities in England’s cities.

“Twenty three million people cannot and must not be left out of this vital conversation on redrawing the English constitution and devolving greater powers and funding to local areas.”

Today Mr Clatworthy added: “Devon has a population of just under 750,000.

“Manchester City Council and Salford is 750,000. The population of greater Leeds is about 880,000.

“Our residents must not lose out to the cities in some two-tier devolution.

“Local government can do many things far more effectively than central Government.

“Let them devolve the responsibility to us – and the resources – and we will get on and do it efficiently and effectively.”