Agenda item

Devolution

It was moved by Councillor Joe Otten, seconded by Councillor Sue Alston, that this Council:-

(a)       welcomes the decision of the people of Scotland to remain part of the UK and believes that this is in the best interests of the UK as a whole and congratulates the Scottish people on the very large turnout;

(b)       notes the assurances made by the leaders of the three main UK parties to give further powers to the Scottish Parliament and further  notes that these have led to renewed debate on devolution in other areas of the UK, including the English regions;

(c)        believes that powers should be exercised at the most appropriate level, and that this demands devolution within the UK, co-operation within the European Union and that the United Kingdom should continue;

(d)       welcomes the IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research) North report 'Decentralisation Decade', the Deputy Prime Minister's Northern Futures project, the City Deals and Growth Deals; and

(e)       believes that for devolution to work, elected politicians must take responsibility for their own decisions.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Leigh Bramall, seconded by Councillor Harry Harpham, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.         the deletion of paragraph (d) and the addition of a new paragraph (d) as follows:-

(d)       welcomes the several recent reports into decentralisation, including the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) “Decentralisation Decade” report and welcomes the contribution of members of the project advisory group, Andrew Adonis, Graham Allen, Julie Dore, Roger Gough, Alexandra Jones, Vivien Lowndes, John Shipley and Tony Travers; the Communities and Local Government Select Committee (chaired by the MP for Sheffield South East) Report into fiscal devolution to cities and city regions; the work by the Core Cities to secure greater devolution; and the actions taken locally such as the creation of the Combined Authority.

2.         the addition after the words “to work” in paragraph (e) of the words “decision making must be genuinely devolved, unlike the sham localism that has been overseen by the present Government and”

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)       welcomes the decision of the people of Scotland to remain part of the UK and believes that this is in the best interests of the UK as a whole and congratulates the Scottish people on the very large turnout;

(b)       notes the assurances made by the leaders of the three main UK parties to give further powers to the Scottish Parliament and further  notes that these have led to renewed debate on devolution in other areas of the UK, including the English regions;

(c)        believes that powers should be exercised at the most appropriate level, and that this demands devolution within the UK, co-operation within the European Union and that the United Kingdom should continue;

(d)       welcomes the several recent reports into decentralisation, including the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) “Decentralisation Decade” report and welcomes the contribution of members of the project advisory group, Andrew Adonis, Graham Allen, Julie Dore, Roger Gough, Alexandra Jones, Vivien Lowndes, John Shipley and Tony Travers; the Communities and Local Government Select Committee (chaired by the MP for Sheffield South East) Report into fiscal devolution to cities and city regions; the work by the Core Cities to secure greater devolution; and the actions taken locally such as the creation of the Combined Authority.

(e)       believes that for devolution to work, of the words “decision making must be genuinely devolved, unlike the sham localism that has been overseen by the present Government and elected politicians must take responsibility for their own decisions.

(Note 1. Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Rob Frost, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Penny Baker, Roger Davison, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Steve Ayris, Denise Reaney, David Baker, Katie Condliffe and Vickie Priestley voted for paragraphs (a) to (d) and against paragraph (e) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.

2. Councillors Jillian Creasy, Robert Murphy, Sarah Jane Smalley and Brian Webster voted for Paragraphs (b) to (e) and abstained on Paragraph (a) of the Substantive Motion and asked for his to be recorded.)