Shropshire Star

'Disruptive and disgraceful': Telford councillors demand apology from Shrewsbury MP over hospitals row

Telford and Wrekin councillors have voted unanimously to demand an apology from Shrewsbury’s MP for his “disruptive and disgraceful attacks” on their borough.

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Daniel Kawczynski

Opposition Conservatives tabled the motion, expressing concern at Daniel Kawczynski’s “irrational” desire to merge the borough with Shropshire Council, and Labour amended the motion to include a demand for an apology.

Mr Kawczynski has criticised the authority in the Commons, accusing it of holding up the planned Future Fit reorganisation of Shropshire hospital services and being “bereft of medical expertise”.

A spokesperson for Mr Kawczynski said the Conservative MP wrote to Telford and Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies on July 19, asking him to respect the decision the Independent Reconfiguration Panel comes to over the plans, and said he has yet to receive a reply.

Councillor Stephen Bentley’s original motion said: “This council notes with concern the recent statement by the MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham concerning a wish to see this authority either merged with Shropshire or completely abolished.”

It added such a move would damage local accountability, and “consequently, this council collectively resolves to oppose any plans for abolition or merger”.

Councillor Bentley added: “I consider [Mr Kawczynski’s] comments to be irrational, ill-advised and, at best, ill-conceived.”

Detrimental

Fellow Conservative councillor Eric Carter said: “On a number of occasions, when I’ve attended MPs’ briefings with my hat on as chair of the fire authority, he has always interfered and brought it back to the same subject: ‘Well, Telford and Wrekin should be part of Shropshire’.

“It’s a fact that, without the consent of the two councils, this wouldn’t happen anyway. [Shropshire Council leader] Peter Nutting has said quite clearly this is not happening.”

Councillor Reynolds’s amendment said merging would “cause severe detrimental consequences” for Telford and Wrekin and asked Mr Kawczynski to apologise for his “disruptive and disgraceful attacks”.

She said: “This is not the first time, and, I fear, not the last time we’ll be harassed with the warped and conspiratorial views of this Conservative MP.

“Every time we stand united on the important issues facing our borough, Conservative MPs from across Shropshire want to see our council abolished.”

Independent councillor Peter Scott said: “Whoever writes to him, could they please tell him we are Telford and Wrekin Council; he always refers to us as ‘Telford Council’.

“If he can’t get that one simple thing right, how can we possibly take him seriously on any other part?”

On July 17, in a question to then Prime Minister Theresa May, Mr Kawczynski said Telford and Wrekin was “hell-bent on scrapping a scheme that will improve services and bring about stability”. The month before he submitted questions to the Local Government Department about the council’s viability and the potential benefits of merging it with Shropshire.