Alicia Kearns MP has tabled an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment
Bill to ensure the continuation of Rutland’s ceremonial county status, regardless of the outcome of
Local Government Re-Organisation.
The clause Alicia tabled would amend the Lieutenancies Act 1997 to directly reference Rutland as a
county with a Lord Lieutenant. Currently, when Rutland ceases as a unitary authority under Local
Government Re-Organisation as Rutland County Council has asked Government to re-organise the
county (see letter of 10th January), because Rutland is not referenced in the Lieutenancies Act 1997 as
a county with a Lord Lieutenant, its ceremonial county status will cease to exist and Rutland will lose
its identity as well as its independence.
Alicia has written to The Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to
encourage the Government to support her clause at Report Stage and beyond, or for the Government
to lay its own clause as part of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. The
Government has stated it would work with Alicia to preserve Rutland’s Ceremonial County status but
has so far failed to bring forward any legislation to do so.
Alicia has also co-laid three Amendments to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment
Bill (104, 105, 106) with Leicestershire MP Peter Bedford calling for the use of referendums for the
upcoming Local Government Re-Organisation.
Alicia Kearns MP, Member of Parliament for Rutland and Stamford, said:
“I have tabled this amendment as a clear legislative route to preserve Rutland’s ceremonial
county status, so our identity is not stripped from us when we lose our independence because
of Government reforms and Rutland Council’s leadership asking for us to be re-organised.
“We are intensely proud of our county, community and identity, and rightly so. I will not stop
fighting until the Government has delivered the legislation needed to assure our county’s
future.
“As the Council did not conduct a meaningful consultation with residents, and are pursuing an
option to merge with Leicestershire which is not the preferred option of the majority of
residents, I have co-laid an amendment calling for referendums for Local Government
Reform in Rutland, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire to give all residents a say over who
delivers their Council services. These decisions will have impacts spanning generations, so it
is only right residents are given a democratic say.”
