Six Conservative Group leaders of councils across the Midlands have written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham calling for a rethink of the devolution boundary.

The Conservative Group leaders of Milton Keynes City Council, Central Bedfordshire Council, Bedford Borough Council, Luton Borough Council, North Northamptonshire Council and West Northamptonshire Council have all signed the letter.

It was sent on September 1 after the Government received an endorsement of the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) model from the Labour-led Luton Borough Council and Liberal Democrat-led Milton Keynes City Council.

The letter from the Conservative Group leaders argues that the BLMK model falls short of the Government’s own 1.5 million population benchmark for a mayoral strategic authority.

Six Conservative Group council leaders have signed an open letter to the Prime Minister calling for a six-council model to be considered for the South Midlands region - covering Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire

placeholder image — Six Conservative Group council leaders have signed an open letter to the Prime Minister calling for a six-council model to be considered for the South Midlands region - covering Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire

They claim that including West and North Northamptonshire would clear that number, while also reflecting the economic ties that exist across the region.

In a joint letter the Conservative Group leaders write: “This should not be about what is politically convenient for two administrations.

“It should be about what is genuinely best for the people and businesses who will live with this decision for a generation, long after the councils that back it have moved on.

“We have Milton Keynes' technology and commercial scale, Bedford's once-in-a-generation Universal investment, Central Bedfordshire's research and engineering base, Luton's international gateway and Northamptonshire's manufacturing, motorsport and advanced engineering.

“We have a shared South Midlands Business Board, over 80,000 businesses and £50 billion of annual economic activity already built between us.

“We are already six unitary authorities, each capable in our own right.

“Together, we are considerably more powerful and more influential than any four of us grouped together could be.”

The six signatories have asked the Prime Minister to publish the evidence behind any final decision, consult businesses and residents directly, and choose the geography that best suits the region economically.

Earlier this week Central Bedfordshire Council held an extraordinary general meeting to discuss devolution, with a motion by council leader Adam Zerny calling on the authority to ‘continue engaging’ passed in a vote.

Cllr Zerny said he believed there was ‘a very strong argument to look outside of purely Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes.’

A motion tabled by Labour to direct the authority to proceed with the BLMK model was defeated.

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