BREXIT continues to dominate public and political debate in our country. I will give you my view of current developments later in this article.

However, I want to begin by focusing on an issue which has the capacity to transform our local community. I am proposing a radical devolution of power from Bury Council to the six townships which make up the Borough.

Recognising people’s true sense of local identity, their desire to have greater control over decisions affecting their neighbourhoods/ town centres and the fact that decisions made closer to communities are often better and more efficient.

I noticed Labour have suggested they would pilot a town council for Radcliffe in recent council elections.

Yet, they have controlled Bury for eight years and have reduced, not enhanced the powers of local townships.

While I was a Labour MP, Bury Labour constantly resisted my frequent attempts to persuade them to devolve meaningful power. I even provided them with a blueprint as far back as 2010 following recommendations from an independent commission I set up to consider a variety of options.

They preferred to introduce structures with few powers and no real resources which they subsequently scrapped.

If they are to have any credibility on this issue, they should establish area based councils in each of the townships from April of next year. A pilot in one or two areas or recreating previous inadequate structures is not good enough.

In my constituency this would mean Radcliffe, Prestwich, Whitefield/ Unsworth each having a town Council with a significant budget, meaningful powers and at least one development worker.

The budget should start at a minimum of £250,000 for year one, powers would include developing a local delivery plan covering the big priority issues in each area, overseeing the management of community facilities including town centres, parks etc, budgetary decisions about street cleaning and highways repairs, and as now grants to community groups.

The town councils would consist of ward Councillors, business and resident representatives in equal numbers. They would also have the power to hold public hearings where elected Executive members and Council officers could be held to account for township issues.

The development worker would be the voice of the township at the town hall not an agent of the town hall in the community. Each area would define its own priorities and harness the resources and expertise of the council, other public services such as Health, Policing and schools, businesses, charities and active citizens to deliver change. Simister should be supported in their ambitions to be a parish council and the work of Ainsworth Community Association respected and supported.

Having campaigned on the issue recently the Council cannot claim they do not have the funding. It requires the transfer of some existing funding from budgets currently held centrally by Council Departments and other public services to townships. Town councils should also have the power to consult local communities about whether they would be willing to pay a small council tax surcharge to be ring fenced for use on improvements in their township.

Bury has always been a poorly funded council and austerity has made this worse. But the only solution to this challenge is working differently and be prepared to give away power to people at a local level who know their communities best. I stand ready to work with all parties on the council who are prepared to turn this vision into action.

As we approach another Brexit deadline at the time of writing it appears, we are heading for another stalemate. While the Government shouldn’t have prorogued Parliament the first time and should have been more careful in its handling of respected colleagues such as Ken Clarke the truth is that Parliament continues to behave disgracefully.

The Opposition parties are consistently sending the EU the message that they do not want a Brexit deal but instead to Remain. The SNP and Lib Dem’s are upfront about this while Labours strategy is to force Boris Johnson to ask for an extension, so he is accused of betrayal and then severely damaged by the Brexit party at the subsequent election. They have disdain for the result of the referendum and for all their attempts to claim the moral high ground are hellbent on thwarting Brexit, or in Corbyn’s case inflicting maximum political damage on the Tories. I was a Remainer but I’m a democrat and strongly believe the majority leave vote has to be respected and Brexit delivered. I repeat my warning to those who describe themselves as progressives that if they continue to behave this way they will unleash public support for right wing populism like never before in this country. Continued delay and uncertainty by not leaving on 31st October also runs the risk of recession as businesses and individuals stop investing and spending.

Let us hope even at this late stage there is an unlikely breakthrough and a fair Brexit deal can be negotiated.

Ivan Lewis

Independent MP for Bury South