James Cartlidge warns Suffolk must keep savings from local government shake-up
The Government wants to replace the county's current system with three new authorities.
The MP for South Suffolk says any money saved through the reorganisation of local councils should be reinvested in Suffolk rather than used to fund Government spending elsewhere.
James Cartlidge said he supports replacing Suffolk's two-tier council system with unitary authorities in principle, but questioned the way the Government has introduced the changes.
On 25 March 2026, it was announced that Local Government Reorganisation will see all six councils in Suffolk replaced with three new unitary authorities.
This decision means that three unitary councils will replace Suffolk County Council and the five district and borough authorities: Babergh, East Suffolk, Ipswich, Mid Suffolk and West Suffolk. These authorities will cover western Suffolk, central & eastern Suffolk and Ipswich & southern Suffolk.
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Speaking to us, the Conservative MP said merging county and district councils could reduce bureaucracy and improve services if implemented effectively.
"I've always supported the creation of a unitary authority," he said.
"I was a district councillor in Suffolk. I found it very bureaucratic, the way you had the district doing some things, county doing others."
The replacement of Suffolk's existing county and district councils with new unitary authorities is part of a wider programme of local government reorganisation and devolution.
Mr Cartlidge said the changes had the potential to reduce costs and improve public services, but argued residents had not been properly consulted.
"There was very little consultation. I tried to talk to members of the public. I think they were a bit baffled by what was going on," he said.
He said his biggest concern was that any financial savings achieved through reorganisation could be lost to central government rather than benefiting local communities.
"In theory, a unitary authority could deliver, for example, lower council tax or better public services if it's able to save money," he said.
"My biggest worry of all is that the Government have imposed this and that we won't keep the savings in Suffolk - they'll just go back to Number 10."
Mr Cartlidge also welcomed the prospect of greater devolution if it gives Suffolk more control over local investment.
He pointed to plans to regenerate part of Sudbury town centre by relocating the town's bus station, freeing land for redevelopment.
"If devolution gives us the power to generate that wealth closer to home, then I would welcome it," he said.
The Government has said local government reorganisation is intended to simplify council structures, improve services and support wider devolution by creating larger unitary authorities.