No surprise over council bid

It is not surprising that the High Court rejected the legal bid by Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council to prevent Shropshire being run by a single authority.

It was perhaps naivety at best to think that the EU regionalisation plan will be stopped quite so easily.

Unless a system of binding referendum is introduced, and UKIP is the only party that has always advocated such a policy, then public wishes will continue to be ignored.

It is worth reiterating that David Cameron will not allow a referendum on leaving the European Union, and most Conservative anti-EU sound bites are just that - sound bites.

Perhaps of greater concern is how many councillors and stakeholders, who voted for the unitary council, took the time to read the two volumes of the local government white paper, rather than relying on ministerial advice on the benefits of the unitary authority?

The Local Government Authority, when recommending the white paper, said: "It provides the best chance in a generation for central government to shift power to local people and those who serve them," Sounds good and democratic.

However, Hazel Blears said recently: "We have delivered local government unprecedented freedoms, financial flexibility and revenue-raising powers."

Put simply, any cost saving by a unitary approach has now been removed and replaced by a "charge more and fine more" agenda - welcome to post democratic regionalisation.

John Galloway, Chairman UK Independence Party, Shrewsbury