UKIP protest over combined authority plan for Birmingham and the Black Country

UKIP West Midland MEPs James Carver and Bill Etheridge have organised the protest which has been branded 'Hands off Birmingham and Hands off the Black Country'.

And a Tory MP has said in the Commons that the Black Country can do well by itself without teaming up with Birmingham.

The UKIP pair are opposed to the regional authority claiming it would erode each area's distinct identity. Mr Etheridge, who is hoping to stand in Dudley North in next year's general election, said: "This protest will mark the launch of our concerted campaign against regionalisation and a combined authority.

"We don't want to see the centralisation of power. We believe local people should have a real say, at a localised level, about issues that concern them. The shift of power away from the people will deeply damage local democracy and accountability. UKIP will fight this."

Council leaders in Dudley, Sandwell, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Birmingham have agreed to set up a combined authority to take on powers that may be devolved from London ­— given the move to devolve powers since the Scottish Referendum.

But Mr Carver, who is hoping to stand in Stourbridge in next year's general election, described the plan as a 'stitch-up' by Labour.

He said: "This whole idea is a Labour Party stitch as it is the Labour-run authorities in Walsall, Dudley, Wolverhampton and Birmingham who want to sign away our local democracies to create a combined authority."

The protest will take place outside Dudley Council House at 5.15pm on December 1, ahead of a meeting of the council.

Meanwhile Tory MP for Wolverhampton South West Paul Uppal has said the Black Country does not need the help of Birmingham to grow.

Mr Uppal made the statement while discussing whether the next Government should further extend devolutionary powers to the UK's cities and regions to promote growth

Speaking after the launch of a new report on the subject by the All Party Urban Development Group (APUDG), MP Uppal said: "We should be devolving more powers to cities and regions but I am still of the belief that the Black Country can do this by itself and does not need the assistance of Birmingham.

"I have no problems with combining services across the Black Country, we have seen huge successes with the Local Enterprise Partnership.

"Expanding this partnership to Birmingham and beyond is simply a step too far."