What a difference a few weeks makes.
Back in July, the Labour Government announced its decision on Local Government Reorganisation for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. After months of uncertainty, we were told the decision had been made and that we should all now get behind it.
Here in North West Leicestershire, our Labour MP was certainly enthusiastic about the announcement. She told residents that the changes would deliver “better outcomes, better value for taxpayers” and described the decision as an “important step” towards unlocking Leicestershire’s potential.
Well, that aged well.
Just a few weeks later, her own Labour Government has slammed the brakes on the whole process.
Following updated legal advice, ministers have now paused the plans for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland while they review whether the process is robust, complies with the law and actually meets the priorities of the new Government.
You really couldn’t make it up.
What frustrates me most about this whole saga is that none of it needed to happen.
The Government asked people what they thought. The response from Leicestershire was overwhelmingly against the proposals, particularly the expansion of Leicester City into surrounding county communities.
But rather than listening, Labour decided it knew better and ploughed on regardless.
That is why Conservative councillors and MPs across Leicestershire have spent months fighting these plans.
Neil O’Brien MP has been one of the strongest voices against Leicester expansion. Even before the July decision he was calling on the Government to pause the process because of the overwhelming opposition locally. When Labour ignored those calls and announced its decision anyway, Neil made clear that he believed it was the wrong decision and that he would “not stop fighting it.”
Alberto Costa MP has consistently opposed the expansion of Leicester City into Leicestershire communities and has campaigned alongside residents and Conservative colleagues against what he has described as the city “land grab”.
Alicia Kearns MP was equally forthright when Labour announced its decision in July, describing what the Government had chosen as “the worst outcome on the table”.
Luke Evans MP has also been making the case that local government reform should unite, rather than divide our communities.
These MPs weren’t opposing change simply for the sake of opposing it. Neither were Conservative councillors at County Hall.
We were raising legitimate questions about local identity, accountability, services, the evidence behind the proposals and, crucially, how much all of this was going to cost.
That last question looks even more important today.
Think about the amount of work that has gone into this process.
Councils across Leicestershire have spent months preparing submissions, writing reports, holding meetings, consulting residents, taking legal advice and planning for what would have been one of the biggest changes to local government in decades.
That means thousands upon thousands of hours of council officers’ time, and that time is paid for by you and me.
Now, just weeks after Labour told us the decision had been made, the Government itself has put the process on ice following legal advice.
The Local Government Information Unit has warned that the whole LGR programme is in danger of becoming a “colossal white elephant”, describing it as a huge drain on time, resources and goodwill.
That is why I think residents deserve an answer to a very simple question.
How much has this fiasco cost us?
How much taxpayers’ money has already been spent across Leicestershire? How many hours of council officer time have been swallowed up by it? How much has been spent on consultants and legal advice? And what other work could those officers have been doing for residents instead?
Those questions are particularly relevant here in North West Leicestershire.
Only a few weeks ago our Labour MP was telling residents this represented “better value for taxpayers”.
I wonder whether she still believes that today?
I suspect many residents will look at the months of work, the money already spent and a Government now reviewing its own decision and reach a rather different conclusion.
There is also a bigger lesson here, and it goes beyond party politics.
Politicians are elected to represent people. Sometimes that means listening when residents give us an answer we don't particularly like.
You cannot hold a consultation, receive an overwhelmingly negative response and then simply carry on regardless while pretending you are taking people with you.
I was proud to vote at County Hall against the expansion of Leicester City. I was proud to stand alongside residents protesting against it, and I have consistently argued that decisions about the future of Leicestershire should have the support of the people who actually live here.
Local identity matters. Accountability matters. How we spend taxpayers’ money matters.
And above all, listening to residents matters.
The Government has now confirmed that the NWLDC May 2027 local elections will go ahead on the existing council boundaries while this review takes place.
That is welcome news.
But let's be clear about what has happened. The Leicestershire plans have been paused and put under review; they have not yet been formally scrapped. So this is a battle won, but it isn't necessarily the end of the war.
We will therefore keep fighting, keep asking the difficult questions and keep standing up for Leicestershire.
And perhaps, after all the time, money and uncertainty this whole episode has caused, Labour might finally learn a very simple lesson.
Next time, listen to Leicestershire in the first place.
