Council Leader calls for meeting with Deputy Prime Minister

"Today the Deputy Prime Minister has made it absolutely clear from the despatch box in the House of Commons that local government re-organisation is a bottom-up approach and not a top down dictate. If that is the case then why are we being forced to put in proposals to a dictated timeframe and why will she and her Lead Minister ‘Devo Man’ as she calls him Jim McMahon MP not agree to a meeting to discuss this with me as a District Council Leader in Leicestershire.

"I am calling on the Deputy Prime Minister to show her commitment to local communities and meet with me to discuss this important matter.

"It is also clear today that the Government do not support the County Council in their request to deny democracy to our residents, I am delighted that our residents will now be given their democratic right to elect the representatives that they want at the ballot box this May. Our staff are now mobilising the election process and we will deliver elections as intended. Democracy is not being denied!

"I have said before and I will say again, Harborough District Council is not broken, our priority has been focussing on our communities and we can demonstrate that through our latest budget proposals which includes no increase to green bin charges, no increase to car parking charges, a new post which will focus on supporting actions to prevent flooding in our communities and a further two years of our popular £1 million Community Grant Fund, meaning we will have invested £3 million in all corners of our district.

"I look forward to hearing back from the Deputy Prime Minister and discussing how local government should be kept local."