Dr Luke Evans MP has joined fellow Leicestershire Conservative MPs and council leaders in delivering a petition signed by more than 40,000 residents to Downing Street, urging the Prime Minister to abandon controversial plans for local government reorganisation and Leicester City boundary expansion.
The petition, which continues to attract signatures, was delivered to Number 10 following the Government's dramatic decision to pause its Local Government Reorganisation programme and review both the process and the proposed boundary changes affecting Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The Government announced the review after receiving updated legal advice, forcing Ministers to halt a process they had been defending only weeks earlier.
The petition was formally handed to the Prime Minister's Office, with the delegation of MPs and council leaders making clear the strength of public opposition to the plans.
Dr Luke said: "More than 40,000 people and counting have now signed petitions opposing these proposals. That is an extraordinary demonstration of public concern from communities right across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
"Residents have made their views crystal clear. They do not want decisions imposed upon them from Whitehall, nor do they want a Leicester City land grab which was never part of the original submissions made by local councils.
"The Government has now been forced into a full review of its plans and has paused the process entirely. That is a significant development and a direct result of the scrutiny, pressure and campaigning carried out by local residents, councils and MPs.
"For more than a year I have warned that this process has been rushed, confused and badly handled. Time and again local people raised legitimate concerns, only to feel those concerns were being ignored.
"Now Ministers have been forced to stop and reconsider the very decisions they were insisting only weeks ago were correct. It raises serious questions about what went wrong and why these concerns were not addressed sooner."
The Government announced in July that existing councils across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland would be replaced by two new unitary authorities, including an enlarged Leicester authority incorporating additional areas currently outside the city boundary.
Throughout the process, Dr Luke has challenged Ministers on the evidence base for the changes, their financial implications and the impact on local communities, services and representation.
Speaking after the petition was handed in, Dr Luke added: "This campaign has always been about standing up for local communities.
"Residents, parish councils, businesses, community organisations and thousands of local people have come together to say these changes are wrong. They deserve to be listened to.
"While the Government's pause is welcome, this is not the end of the matter. The review must be meaningful. Ministers must publish the evidence, explain the financial case, learn the lessons from this chaos and genuinely listen to the communities affected.
"We have consistently scrutinised this process and challenged the Government's handling of it. The fact that Ministers have now been forced into a review shows exactly why that scrutiny was necessary.
"This isn't about party politics. It is about standing up for the communities we represent. More than 40,000 signatures send a powerful message to Government that local people expect to be listened to.”
The petition campaign forms part of a wider cross-county effort involving residents, local councillors, community groups, council leaders and Members of Parliament who have opposed the Government's proposed reorganisation plans and Leicester City expansion.
The petition has now attracted more than 40,000 signatures and continues to grow.
