Draft Surrey (Structural Changes) Order 2026 Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Lewis Cocking
Main Page: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)Department Debates - View all Lewis Cocking's debates with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Draft Surrey (Structural Changes) Order 2026
Lewis Cocking Excerpts(1 day, 8 hours ago)
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Lewis Cocking (Broxbourne) (Con)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Roger.
When creating new unitary councils, it is important that we take communities with us, and community identity is really important. I have raised concerns about this whole devolution and unitarisation process and how we take all the communities within the shire councils across the country with us.
On Surrey in particular, will the Minister, in her summing up, reflect on a comment made in the Chamber by my hon. Friend the Member for Spelthorne (Lincoln Jopp)? He called for the new proposed unitary authority covering his constituency to be named West Surrey and South Middlesex, rather than simply West Surrey, to ensure that we get that historical county representation and take communities with us.
Edward Argar (Melton and Syston) (Con)
My hon. Friend rightly highlights the campaign of my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Spelthorne for the new council to be named West Surrey and South Middlesex. As I understand it, that name is also championed by—this shows my age—popular household name Russell Grant. Does my hon. Friend agree that alongside the questions we are debating about the financial sustainability of the new unitary authorities, their governance and the services they provide, it is absolutely vital that we ensure they have an identity that those who live in those areas can relate to?
Lewis Cocking
I completely agree. I do not think the Government have spent much time considering that fundamental flaw and how we take communities with us by getting that identity right.
The people of Spelthorne feel strongly about their historical ties to Middlesex, and I urge the Minister to listen to those concerns. Creating big new super-unitary councils by shoving multiple areas together does not make people feel included, because no one wants to end up like Birmingham. It is really important that we take communities with us.