'Best thing I ever did' - councillors reflect ahead of county shake-up

With major local government reorganisation just around the corner for Lancashire, some long-serving councillors have been sharing their thoughts ahead of the shake-up.

With more than 100 years of service between them, these local politicians have already experienced many previous changes.

Under government plans, all 15 of Lancashire's councils are to be scrapped and replaced with new unitary authorities, which will control all the services in their areas.

A decision on how these authorities will look is due to be made this summer.

Changes to local councils are nothing new for the longest serving councillor in Lancashire, 86-year-old Ivan Taylor.

He has been a local councillor for Labour in Blackpool for 58 years and was around in 1974 when the last overhaul took place.

When things changed again for Blackpool council in 1998, when it became a unitary authority, he was by then leader of the council.

"I think it was the best thing I ever did as it gave us direct access to the government and made a huge difference," he said.

Of the upcoming changes across Lancashire, he thinks they will benefit some areas.

Currently, Lancashire has two separate systems of local government, with a county council and12 district councils, as well as two unitary authorities for Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool.

The government wants to scrap all 15 and replace them with three or four new unitary authorities, eventually under an elected mayor. There are five different proposals.

"It's an absolute step forward for the councils who are not unitary, we'd like to keep our status, but the likelihood is that this won't happen," Taylor said.

Over in Burnley, Liberal Democrat Gordon Birtwistle has not been a supporter of local government reorganisation, but said: "We've got to accept it and I've always looked forward to the day there is a massive 'for sale' sign over the top of County Hall."

Having initially entered local politics because, "I lived in Great Harwood and we were being pestered by whippets," he's served uninterrupted for 43 years making him the longest serving person on the council, with five of those years as the town's MP.

He joined the fledgling Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 1980s after hearing the then leader David Owen speaking on the radio and ended up being one of the founders of the party in East Lancashire.

He believes there have been huge changes in local politics over the years: "Ordinary councillors have very little influence in what goes on in the council now, in the old days we had committees, where everybody was involved and you could have influence."

He also said politics had become "nasty" and said: "It's gone really right wing or ultra left wing and it's all about things that really the local council shouldn't be talking about, but we are because we have to, but I still enjoy doing it."

It is a sentiment shared by South Ribble Conservative councillor Margaret Smith, who has also served for 43 years, making her the longest serving at that authority.

She said: "I think there's a lot more harshness about the way people tackle their politics and I don't like that - they're a lot more confrontational."

Having initially entered politics because, "my mother was a councillor on Preston Council for a short while and it seemed to evolve from there," she has served as leader of South Ribble Council and as mayor.

On the subject of local government reorganisation, she said: "I think it's a very, very expensive exercise that I think could be done a different way, I don't think this reorganisation will actually enhance what we've got."

When asked what advice they would give to new politicians or those looking to enter politics, Taylor said: "Do it, we need good councillors."

While Birtwistle said: "At the end of the day, it's very difficult to resolve everything, you can resolve the smaller items, but to go with a vision that you're going to change the world, ain't going to happen."

Smith agreed: "You can't solve everybody's problems, that's for absolutely sure, so just listen and and try and help where you can."

Government ministers will decide, subject to parliamentary approval which, if any, of the plans are approved.

A final decision is due to be announced in 2026, with new councils going live in 2028.

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