Combined authority will break up NHS: Etheridge

UKIP MEP Bill Etheridge said the proposed deal was one third of a 'terrible trio' which he said would 'deeply damage democracy'.

The others, he claimed, were the European Union and the system of political cabinets running councils.

At a press conference, attended by a handful of UKIP supporters, Mr Etheridge wore a black tie because he claimed he was 'in mourning' for democracy, as he called for council cabinets to be scrapped.

Mr Etheridge's remarks have been rubbished by the leader of one Black Country council, who accused him of making a 'huge leap' in linking the combined authority with the EU.

Mr Etheridge said councils should return to the old style committee system of making decisions, which he said prevented small groups of one party imposing their will on the public.

But he also accused the councils of the Black Country and Birmingham, who will join forces with Coventry and Solihull, of furthering a European agenda of 'regionalisation' through the combined authority.

The WMCA is being set up to take on any powers that may be offered by the government over regeneration, transport and skills. Chancellor George Osborne and Tory grandee Lord Heseltine have also called for 'accountability', likely to mean a directly elected West Midlands 'metro mayor'.

However, councils in Greater Manchester have also bid for control of £6 billion worth of NHS spending.

Speaking at the Great Barr Hotel, Mr Etheridge said UKIP would be gathering around 60 of its councillors from across the West Midlands at a meeting in October to formally oppose the combined authority.

He said: "I'm wearing a black tie today because I'm in mourning for democracy. The councils of the West Midlands have the blood of democracy on their hands."

He accused councils of using the combined authority as a way of attracting money from the European Union, which he said would come with conditions on bin collections and green transport. There's also talk of city regions taking on their part of the NHS," he said.

"This is the break up of our NHS, by putting it into the hands of local authorities."

Mr Etheridge, who is also a councillor in Dudley, criticised the decision for each of the seven authorities signed up to the WMCA to pay the same – £300,000 a piece.

He has called for Birmingham, which has a larger population, to pay the larger share. But council leaders say it means everyone has an equal say.

On the issue of council cabinets he said: "There are decisions being taken without any proper discussion.

"People deserve to be told what is happening.

"We have been out campaigning in Sandwell and people did not know anything about the combined authority.

"When we told them, they were angry." On its website, the WMCA explains: "Combined authorities are legal bodies with powers of decision-making granted by parliament that are a new way for local authorities to work together on key strategic functions that cross geographic council boundaries and that could be more effectively delivered together rather than separately. Examples include transport, regeneration and skills."

They are intended to help attract funding.

The website adds: "A combined authority is required to cover an area that makes sense economically – for example an area within which many people commute to work or where there are strong links between local firms, universities and other institutions.

"A combined authority also needs to be big enough to be able to compete in the world and to pull together the resources needed to support more economic success."

Councillor Darren Cooper, leader of Sandwell Council, said: "Bill Etheridge is making a huge leap in connecting the combined authority with the EU. The EU is an issue that will be settled by the planned referendum. What we are doing is responding to the government's desire to devolve power to our region and setting up the vehicle to achieve that.

"On Bill's point about the NHS, I agree with him that the Tory government is breaking it up. But that's nothing to do with the combined authority. And as for the old committee systems, I remember them and they are not as good a way of getting things done as the current cabinet model. Councillors can call in and scrutinise decisions without having to wait much longer between meetings the way they used to."