Devolution – or did someone say ‘fight!’
A return to the bad old days or democracy at work? Gloucestershire County Council’s leader stepped up to tackle devolution and the county began trading political body blows. Is unity possible?
Dear readers,
Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Raikes Journal.
Today we take a step away from our usual focus of business, education, training and the third sector and look at a public spat that’s erupted over devolution - a process set to impact all of us living and working in the county.
The end result is being billed as a lifetime opportunity to try to grab back from London some of that which has drained away from Gloucestershire and the regions for years - power - and with it, more money in a time when it seems thin on the ground.
But no sooner have we begun the process to show how we can better manage our county than a gloves-off, public and political battle began with the leaders of at least two of its local authorities attacking the county council leadership and its plans.
The leader of one local authority has accused the leader of the county council as acting like Donald Trump, no less!
At very best there is general disagreement on the way forward.
Whether you see this as democra…
