ON MONDAY, Sir Keir Starmer announced an important policy platform for the next Labour government.  The biggest transfer of power from Westminster to the UK people in history.

YH asked Harlow Labour leader Chris Vince for his reponse.

Cllr Vince said: “A new constitutional settlement in Westminster – this includes more autonomy for local government, which we know has been starved of funding and resources by 12 years of Conservative cuts.  

Economic devolution to England.  The report calls for a wide range of powers to be made available to all levels of local government who prove themselves willing and able to take them on, including skills, employment support, transport, housing, R&D and investment. 

“The proposals include new, much needed rules for politicians and civil servants, new powers to clamp down on inappropriate outside earnings for MPs, new laws to eliminate foreign and corrupt money from UK politics, and powerful new institutions to enforce these, to replace the current institutions that have failed. 

The final set of proposals look at reforming the UK’s second chamber of Parliament, calling for a smaller, democratically elected second chamber made up of representatives of the regions and nations. 

“We know that radical change in this country is needed now more than ever and that the current system is broken.  For too long local councils like Harlow have been starved of funding by the Conservative government, meaning those who need our support the most lose out.  Today’s announcements mean more power to the people of the UK and reforms to the House of Lords which, frankly, are long overdue.’

“The report is written to be fiscally neutral and does not imply anything about specific local or central government budgets”.