Suffolk MPs, including Waveney Valley's Adrian Ramsey, react to local government reorganisation plans being scrapped

Several of the county's MPs have weighed in after the Government decided to suspend its plans to reform local councils. Angela Rayner, the local government secretary, announced yesterday that Suffolk would be one of several authorities – including Essex, Hampshire and Norfolk – to have their plans for a shake-up of local councils withdrawn. County, district and borough councils were due to be scrapped and replaced with three unitaries with more powers, with elections for these new authorities to take place in May. Waveney Valley MP Adrian Ramsey has reacted However, after legal advice – and following a Judicial Review launched by Suffolk County Council – the Government decided to halt and review the plans. This has drawn criticism from some of the county's MPs, who said the decision would only add to growing uncertainty. James Cartlidge, the MP for South Suffolk, criticised the Government for its U-turn and called for the views of constituents to be considered moving forward. 'There are good reasons to consider introducing unitary authorities in Suffolk,' he said, 'but the way Labour have gone about this has been haphazard and poorly communicated throughout.' As part of the delay to the plans, elections will now go ahead as they would have for the existing authorities, although it is unclear how long the new councillors' terms will be. Nick Timothy, the MP for West Suffolk, described the move as 'an absolute shambles'. He said: 'This is terrible – we need not this stop-go nonsense with a Government that does not know what it's doing. 'We need reliable, predictable local councils in Suffolk delivering the services we all need.' Adrian Ramsay, representing Waveney Valley, told other MPs in the Commons yesterday more instability would only worsen issues around stretched council services. He said: 'At the Government's request, councillors and council officers have put a huge amount of time into preparing for these proposals – time that could have been put into improving council services.' The county's Labour MPs, who had supported the new unitaries, did not levy the same level of criticism, but still lamented the halt to the plans. Dr Peter Prinsley, MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, said the decision had been disappointing. 'However, a change of this scale must be legally robust and properly delivered, and I understand why the Government has acted in light of the legal advice it received,' he said. 'The focus now must be on providing certainty for councils, staff and residents across Suffolk, and ensuring that any future proposals genuinely improve local services and strengthen local accountability.' Jess Asato, for Lowestoft, added: 'My priority is making sure we get the best long-term outcome for Suffolk: protecting and improving the services people rely on, putting local government on a sustainable footing and ensuring our communities have a strong voice in the decisions that affect them. 'I'll continue working with ministers and local partners to make sure Suffolk's interests are represented as the review moves forward.' Jack Abbott, the MP for Ipswich, asked Ms Rayner in the Commons to reassure residents the decision did not mean going back to square one. In response, the local government secretary said the Government was not moving away from reform, only reviewing how it will continue in the future.