West Midlands Super Council plans 'a charade' says UKIP MEP Bill Etheridge
The promise of devolved powers for the West Midlands under a 'super council' are a 'charade', one of its most vocal critics has said.
Bill Etheridge, the UKIP MEP for the West Midlands, has criticised comments from minister Baroness Williams, who suggested combined authorities could be fast tracked and gain NHS powers.
The West Midlands Combined Authority would bring together the Black Country, Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and others to work together on regeneration, skills and attracting investment.
There are no plans for the authority to take away roles currently performed by existing councils.
But Mr Etheridge said: "Any illusion that power is not being taken away from the people has now been dispelled.
"People like Sandwell Council Leader Darren Cooper are grand illusionists. They claim there will be no erosion of local identities when we are witnessing more centralisation of functions and power.
"Labour and Conservatives politicians, in support of the West Midlands Combined Authority, are political illusionists, using sleight of hand to fool people in a bid to conjure power for a few.
"I am deeply concerned that this incestuous relationship between Labour and the Conservatives will witness the birth of something that will take power from people in Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Sandwell, Birmingham and Coventry.
"Any claims that the creation of a combined authority in the West Midlands will bring greater devolution have, in my view, been exposed as a charade".
Councillor Cooper has stressed the authority is not going to produce more bureaucracy or another tier of politicians.
However an elected mayor for the West Midlands, favoured by Chancellor George Osborne, has been neither ruled in nor out.
