'Don't leave Shropshire behind in devolution drive' county MP tells new Prime Minister in first PMQs

The MP for North Shropshire pressed the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham on what his plans for devolution mean for the county.

Helen Morgan quizzed Mr Burnham in the House of Commons on Tuesday (September 1) when parliament returned from its summer recess.

The Liberal Democrat MP rose to speak during a debate on the direction of government in Mr Burnham’s first Prime Minister’s Questions since succeeding Sir Keir Starmer earlier this summer.

Mr Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester, took over in July, just before the summer recess began.

Ms Morgan pushed the PM, who has spoken of his belief in handing power back to local authorities, on the state of devolution in Shropshire.

The North Shropshire MP said: “I welcome the Prime Minister to his place and I welcome his commitment to put power back into the heart of communities through a devolution programme.

“But in places such as Shropshire, where there is no immediate plan for a combined authority or a mayoral authority to be put in place, people are really worried that we will be left behind.”

She went on to ask: “Will the Prime Minister elaborate on his earlier comments and explain when authorities such as Shropshire will get those devolved powers - and, crucially, the resources to go with them - so that they can start turning around the lives of people in places such as North Shropshire?”

In response, Mr Burnham said his proposal of giving every English authority with or without a mayor a chance of the devolution deal was “a serious offer”.

However, the PM was less clear on what that offer means for Shropshire itself.

Instead Mr Burnham spoke about his work alongside Cornwall Council and its six MPs regarding a potential devolution deal for that area.

Cornwall Council is hesitant to combine with neighbours in Devon to form a combined authority, but still want a devolution deal.

Mr Burnham has now said the Cornwall authority will get a deal "with or without an elected mayor".

Responding to Ms Morgan’s question, the Prime Minister said: “I do believe that it [a devolution deal] will only work if it is based on unitary local government.

“I do not think it will work with a two-tier system, but that is why I said to colleagues in Cornwall that I am quite happy to see if a deal can be done for a single unitary authority.”

He added: “That is what I understand Members of Parliament for Cornwall to want, working with the leader of Cornwall Council.

“If that is the settled view, I am not going to try to impose anything else - let us work with that.

“The same could be true in Shropshire, but it needs to be effective and functional, and to be able to stand on its own two feet.”