Milton Keynes Conservative Group Leader, Cllr Shazna Muzammil, has called on the Leader of Milton Keynes City Council, Cllr Pete Marland, to "admit his mistake and rethink his approach before further opportunities are lost" after the Government announced that Milton Keynes has been excluded from the Devolution Priority Programme.
This exclusion delays Milton Keynes, and the wider region, from accessing the millions of investment and localised decision making that comes with the devolution deal.
Milton Keynes City Council had submitted a proposal to form a Mayoral Strategic Authority with Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, and Luton. However, this came after a reckless last-minute decision led by Cllr Marland to exclude the Northamptonshire authorities—despite their inclusion in the original proposal from the outset.
Last month, Milton Keynes Conservatives warned in a Full Council meeting that this decision could jeopardise participation in the devolution programme. The rushed BLMK proposal failed to meet the Government’s clear requirement for a combined population of at least 1.5 million, undermining the historic success of the original six South Midlands authorities working together.
Cllr Muzammil challenged the Labour-led administration at the Full Council meeting in January, questioning, "Why are we setting ourselves up to fail?" Now, with the Government confirming the need for further development of the proposal, she argues that Cllr Marland’s "risky political play" has backfired, leaving Milton Keynes in limbo and jeopardising millions in investment.
Cllr Shazna Muzammil said:
"This is exactly what we warned about. The Labour Leader’s last-minute U-turn to exclude Northamptonshire has cost us the opportunity to move forward with devolution. The Government has been clear about the criteria for devolution, yet instead of working collaboratively with all six South Midlands authorities, Cllr Marland chose to push ahead with an incomplete, ill-thought-out proposal. He must now accept reality, return to the table, and commit to a model that actually meets the scale required for success. The only issue that matters here is what is best for the communities we represent.”
She also criticised Cllr Marland’s reference to the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor in his response to the Government’s decision, pointing out that the corridor includes Northamptonshire, making his argument inconsistent with his actions.
"If he believes in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, then he must acknowledge that Northamptonshire is an integral part of it. His words mean nothing when his actions contradict the very principles he claims to support."
Cllr Shazna Muzammil believes that the residents of Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire, and Northamptonshire will ultimately suffer from this failed bid, as investment and local decision-making powers hang in the balance.
"Devolution is an opportunity to secure transformational investment and put power in the hands of local communities, but instead, we’ve been left behind because of political gamesmanship. We need leadership that works for residents, not one that gambles recklessly with their future."
Milton Keynes Conservatives remain committed to advocating for a devolution deal that strengthens local decision-making, delivers economic growth, and long-term prosperity for the city and the wider South Midlands region and that residents do not lose out on the opportunities they and their families deserve.
