‘Labour’s devolution White Paper will make councils fit for the 21st century’

Like other council leaders across the country, I welcome the White Paper on devolution with real enthusiasm – our country has been far too centralised for far too long, seeing the Government’s ambition in black and white is hugely exciting.

Coupling this with the move to a single layer of local government is a radical and sensible measure – taking the two together means local government must act quickly to seize the opportunities the White Paper affords us.

In Thurrock this means using devolution to realise the huge economic potential we have – and in a way that works for the benefit of our residents. 

Labour is working hard to turn Thurrock Council around following the financial catastrophe caused by the previous Tory administration which borrowed over a billion pounds from other councils which was wasted on a string of reckless investments. The opportunity to be part of a larger council would afford us real economy of scale, greater capacity and the opportunity to shape local government that is fit for the 21st century and works for our residents.

Thurrock is a place of huge opportunity and uniquely well-positioned geographically.

Our location on the Thames means we can maximise the potential of Thames Freeport which is a real engine for innovation and opportunity. Thames Enterprise Park will be a billion-pound regeneration project turning 412 acres of land into innovative industries including clean energy, transport, logistics, and light manufacturing, and with High House Production Park and the Backstage Centre in Purfleet-on-Thames we are also home to a significant centre for arts and cultural production.

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Across Essex, we are home to 1.8 million people with an economic output of £47 million a year, we have over 80,000 businesses employing over 700,000 people.

We are at the heart of two nationally significant growth corridors – the Thames Estuary and the UK Innovation Corridor – home to two Freeports, The Thames Freeport and Freeport East and two international airports, at Southend and Stansted.

Despite this, the Essex economy has underperformed for too long. If we increased productivity, across Essex, to the south-east average would see our economy grow by 17 percent – that would be an incredible boost for our residents.

I believe we can work together with others across Essex to ensure local people get the very best services and opportunities, like our fantastic Children’s services rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. 

The White Paper gives us the tools we need to work with our partners to leverage devolution powers and continue our work to secure sustainable growth that leads to prosperity for local families and communities.

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