Abolition of GLC and Metropolitan County Councils

Part of Orders of the Day — Local Government Bill (Clause 1) – in the House of Commons at 5:15 pm on 13 December 1984.

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Photo of Simon Hughes Simon Hughes Shadow Spokesperson (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) 5:15, 13 December 1984

I have no difficulty about that. Indeed, I can tell the hon. Gentleman that Liberal councillors in the met counties, all of whom I visited and spoke to during the summer and subsequently, are much more united and clear about this issue than any group of Labour councillors in any of the metropolitan counties. The Labour district councils would be quite happy to get their hands on the powers of the metropolitan authorities, and they have said so until recently, whereas their friends in the metropolitan counties in large measure want to hold on to their powers. I do not detract from what I said on Second Reading. The view of the 250 or more Liberal councillors in the metropolitan counties is that they should not assist the Government in passing bad legislation and that only when and if the Bill becomes law should they be obliged to follow it. That they will do, but not until then.