Coventry set to join 'Greater Birmingham' super authority

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West Midlands mayor will have power to demand extra council tax

And so it begins....

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At worst this little adventure ought be cost neutral because of the synergies and increased efficiencies: at best, due to these efficiencies we ought be seeing a tax reductions.

As regards the M6 Toll, isn't that a private enterprise, and a failing one at that? Why on earth would any authority take it on? - Of course, this could well be the Tory mantra of privatising profits whilst forcing losses on the masses!

All ways up this stinks.

I await Lucas's response with interest, not that I trust her as far as I could throw her.

[dutchman]

Details of WMCA talks were kept from Labour colleagues...



Coventry City Council leader Ann Lucas is fighting for her political life after it emerged key details of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) negotiations had been kept from her Labour colleagues.

The party had agreed for Coun Lucas, and council chief executive Martin Reeves, to lead talks around the WMCA on behalf of the Labour-led council.

But several sources within the party have told the Telegraph that senior Labour councillors and backbenchers are privately furious at the fact crucial information about the deal, such as a potential council tax rise and the need for a West Midlands metro mayor, was kept from them.

Leading Labour councillors have repeatedly insisted to the public that joining a WMCA would not necessarily mean a West Midlands mayor being imposed on residents, or an increase in council tax.

That has left many red-faced after the Telegraph recently revealed a leaked full draft WMCA agreement which clearly set out the structure - which included a mayor with tax-rising powers - Coventry, Birmingham, Solihull and Black Country councils were seeking as part of plans to join forces.

Coun Lucas is due to present a report to Labour councillors during a private group meeting on Monday which will outline the progress made during WMCA talks. A version of that report would then be expected to be agreed by Labour before eventually reaching the full council meeting scheduled for October 13.

But Coun Lucas now faces a battle to get the report past her party, and could even have her negotiating powers withdrawn, something which would seriously undermine her leadership.

Asked if she expected to be able to get the WMCA report through her group, she said: “It’s called democracy.

“We’ll have to see what the negotiations brought out. It changes on a daily basis. If I don’t think it’s good enough, that’s what I’ll tell them.”

The Conservative opposition in Coventry is also set to strike while the controlling Labour party is divided.

They will put forward a motion at the next full council meeting which condemns the Labour leadership.

It asks that: “This council condemns the leadership of the controlling Labour group for concealing from council members and the Coventry public the ‘secret document’ on the West Midlands Combined Authority as revealed by the Coventry Telegraph.

“Consequently council recognises that the so called ‘public debate’ on the issue has been a complete farce.”

The Tories will also push for combined authority talks to be pursued with Warwickshire County Council after that authority recently rejected plans to join the WMCA. They will also call for a progress report on talks within 10 working days.

Coun John Blundell, leader of the Conservatives in Coventry, said: “Coun Lucas recently referred to the Conservative party as mendacious and accused us of telling lies.

“Well they either don’t know what they are doing or they are concealing the truth of the matter to further their arguments.”

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she (Lucas) said: “It’s called democracy.

The bl**dy woman doesn't know the meaning of the word!

I truly hope that this old harridan gets the ceremonial order of the boot!

[dutchman]

Ann Lucas is fighting for her political life

Just wishful thinking on the part of the Telegraph, I doubt very much she's in any danger at all.

[dutchman]

Labour push through Coventry vote to join West Midlands super council

Coventry City Council has officially agreed to join forces with Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country in a West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

The Labour group used their majority on the council to push the plans through after they voted unanimously in favour of joining the WMCA during a Full Council meeting this afternoon. Conservative opposition councillors all voted against the proposals after a heated debate in the council chamber.

The move means the council will become a member with full voting rights in the WMCA, along with Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall. A WMCA is being formed as the councils bid to receive extra power from central government.

Tory councillors had pressured the Labour leadership to pursue an alliance with Warwickshire away from the West Midlands and accused Labour of ignoring the wishes of residents by refusing to grant a referendum on the issue - something the Conservatives have promised to offer if they regain control of the council.

Conservative Coun Marcus Lapsa said: “Going in with Warwickshire will be like apple pie and custard. Go in with Greater Birmingham and the residents of Coventry will think it’s apple pie and vinegar, because it will leave a taste.”

Conservative Coun Ken Taylor questioned the wisdom of joining forces with the problem-hit Birmingham City Council.

He added: “Birmingham has tried to kill us off many times over. If you think that is going to change in a combined authority, you are wrong.”

The opposition Conservatives “condemned” the Labour leadership for the secrecy around the WMCA.

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May Lucas rot in Hell!

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West Midlands super council bid officially submitted to government



An official request has been submitted to the government for Coventry to join a super council with other West Midlands authorities.

Coventry City Council officials have confirmed that a scheme to form a West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) had been sent to local government secretary Greg Clark on Wednesday after Sandwell Council became the last to agree to join the planned set up.

It also emerged officials were confident the WMCA could be up and running as early as April after leaders met this week with Lord Jim O’Neill, commercial secretary to the treasury with responsibility for city devolution.

Seven councils have now all signed up to the WMCA - Coventry, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall. It is being formed in a bid to attract new powers from central government under devolution plans.

News of the submission and the meeting with Lord O’Nell came during a Coventry City Council scrutiny meeting on Wednesday.

Speaking during that meeting, council leader Ann Lucas said the exact terms of the devolution deal were yet to be worked out.

She added: “Lord O’Neill was incredibly pleased that the West Midlands had gone for the biggest possible deal for becoming a combined authority.

“He was incredibly cheered that most people seemed to have put political differences aside to work for the benefits of residents across the region.

“It’s got to be a really good deal, and it’s got to have a big pay off for Coventry, otherwise I would not even be discussing it.”

Coun Lucas also hit out at criticism over the secretive nature of the negotiations.

She said: “Government want negotiations to be confidential, not me. Any breakdown in confidentiality could be disastrous.”

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Any breakdown in confidentiality could be disastrous.

Pray tell us why Lucas? Are the people not allowed to know just how far you're selling them down the river?

I've said it before, I'll say it again: I trust that old harridan about as far as I could throw her!

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West Midlands Combined Authority signed and sealed



This is the moment that the £1billion West Midlands Combined Authority deal was signed by the powers-that-be.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Sajid Javid, are among those to put pen to paper on the deal at the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering in Coventry.