South Norfolk parliamentary candidate, Jacky Howe, has blasted the decision to make Norwich a Unitary Authority as ‘leaving the people of South Norfolk with no say in their city’s affairs’.
Jacky, who is hoping to be elected as MP for South Norfolk in the next General Election, fears that people in South Norfolk, many of whom have close connections with the county’s capital through work and leisure activities, will be prevented from having any say in its future.
Jacky comments, “The news of this decision is breathtaking in its arrogance and cynicism. While I do support the idea of Unitary Authorities for counties, my opinion on the decision for Norwich is if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This decision has cut off the county’s epicenter and has wasted huge amounts of public money.”
Jacky was the County Council Member for Melton Constable in May 2008 when she formed part of a cross-party group to lobby the Minister Phil Woolas MP against the proposals for Norwich at Westminster.
She comments, “In discussions at County Hall, most of the group wanted to keep the status quo. The alternative is to make the whole county a Unitary Authority, thereby sensibly getting rid of a tier of local government, making it easier for people to understand who is accountable for the provision of their services.”
She continues, “I would love to know how other people in South Norfolk feel about this decision.”
