ANDY Burnham’s ‘devolution’ looks likely to fail at the first hurdle.

Mr Burnham has made much of his credentials as a ‘devolved’ Mayor, and his plans for greater devolution in England, in his bid to replace Keir Starmer.

So it is strange that, scant days before he likely becomes Prime Minister, the Labour Government has published plans to reform local government in Devon which seem to do little for rural Devon.

Indeed I am left with the distinct impression that the ‘land grab’ effectively enacted by Labour Councils in Plymouth and Exeter is all to do with bolstering these councils’ balance sheets and providing land for development, than it is really about devolving power to local people.

The new Devon Council will indeed be rich in coastline, moorland and country-side but poor in the economic resources that come with towns and cities - now stripped away.

Indeed it is a troubling question as to which locale will be the focus for the new council. All obvious candidates (small in themselves) are located on the periphery of the county and can hardly be held to have a clear ‘Devon’ identity.

The one obvious candidate for a new Devon ‘capital’ would have been Crediton, more central and the former County town, but that has been hived off to bolster the failing Labour council in Exeter.

I call upon Andy Burnham as one of this first acts as Prime Minister to withdraw this flawed plan and engage with Devon’s local councils, councillors and people to find a better solution.

Devolution is a good thing, but this plan is not the way to deliver it in Devon. Please think again Mr Burnham.

Mark Wooding

Parliamentary Spokesperson

Central Devon Liberal Democrats