OAKHAM, England, Jan 15, 2026, 16:06 GMT
- MP Alicia Kearns, representing Rutland and Stamford, called on ministers to take action on local government reform
- Kearns noted that Rutland County Council supported a plan despite survey feedback showing most residents oppose it
- Local government minister Alison McGovern said she is willing to meet MPs to discuss the matter
Rutland and Stamford MP Alicia Kearns has called on the UK government to hold a meeting about local government reform, accusing Rutland County Council of moving forward with a plan she claims residents oppose.
This dispute matters now as ministers consider plans to merge councils and reshape service delivery in parts of England—a move that could transfer control over planning, social care, waste services, and more.
In Rutland and nearby areas, the debate is anything but theoretical. The proposed models would steer Rutland either toward sections of Leicestershire or push it closer to a Rutland-and-Stamford partnership with ties to South Lincolnshire.
In a statement, Kearns said the council knew “the majority of Rutlanders overwhelmingly do not support re-joining Leicestershire” but was “steam roll[ing] ahead with very little support.” She highlighted a council survey that never directly asked residents which reorganisation they preferred. Instead, 45% of respondents mentioned support for a union with South Lincolnshire in an “other comments” box; about a third opposed joining Leicestershire; and a quarter rejected a single unitary model combining Leicestershire and Leicester. Rutland County Council did not respond to requests for comment, the report said. (Oakham Nub News)
On Jan. 12, Kearns brought up the matter in Parliament, accusing Rutland’s council of “leaving our fate in the hands of others” and deliberately not consulting residents. She pushed for a meeting to discuss a “Rutland and Stamford” model with local input. Local government minister Alison McGovern called it “a complicated situation” but said she was “always happy” to meet MPs. (Hansard)
A unitary authority handles all local services in a region through a single tier of government, unlike the two-tier system where county and district councils divide duties. (Gov)
Yet a ministerial meeting doesn’t seal the deal. The government could switch to another option, and local councils may continue pushing their favored models as talks and consultations proceed behind the scenes.
Kearns has cast the dispute not just as a boundary issue but as a democratic shortfall, insisting that people in Rutland and Stamford deserve a direct say on the choices that will define their local government for years to come.
