The announcements in the Chancellor’s Spending Review felt like they were reported in the style of a Monty Python Film
“So, who got what then?”
‘I think it was ‘Blessed are the cheesemakers”
“What’s so special about cheesemakers?”
**Well obviously it wasn’t meant to be taken literally it refers to any manufacturers of dairy products**
Above – Monty Python’s Life of Brian, which was part of a film series in the first term of my first year at university way back in the very late 1990s
The whole spectacle reflects how over-centralised the UK is. With HM Treasury having complete control over tax and spend policies via our political system underpinned by the convention of Parliamentary Sovereignty, there are no separate, superior codified constitutional protections for other tiers of the state as you have in other countries. Important when watching the news from the USA and the disagreements between the different tiers of government each appealing to the US Constitution and who it empowers/protects over what.
The things that you might have missed in the flurry of announcements
One reason why I don’t like this way of doing things is that it’s ***really bad for transparency and the public’s understanding of government and politics*** because for too long it has felt like ministers have directed civil servants to hide the bad stuff and promote the good stuff, and the political lobby has very little time to scrutinise the detail before trying to come up with a ‘Gotcha!’ moment.
Better Budgets Making Tax Policy Better – 2017
“This report argues that the current tax policy making process is not fit for purpose: to reduce taxpayer confusion, cut down costly errors and avoid embarrassing U-turns, the government must change the way it makes tax and budget decisions. “
Above – Institute for Government, Jan 2017
And that was six years *before* Liz Truss!
“Any news for “Cambridge?”
It wasn’t this sort of spending review. Which is why a number of people and institutions came away disappointed – they expected a huge list of disaggregated spending commitments with which to filter and find out their awards.
The only Cambridge-related commitment was a further £2.5bn for the continued delivery of East-West rail. I expect it will be on their website sometime over the next week. In the meantime, the other big piece of Cambridgeshire-related infrastructure – the Ely Junction improvements that need around £500million, was nowhere to be seen. The MP for Ely and East Cambs, Charlotte Cane MP was understandably angry.
“Today’s Spending Review failed to fund the Ely Junction upgrade—a project with a £4.89 return for every £1 invested. This isn’t just a local issue—it’s a national setback. We need real investment in infrastructure that delivers real growth. The Chancellor must act now.”
Above – Charlotte Cane MP – Statement in response to the Spending Review, 11 June 2025
Out of the few schemes that were announced by the Chancellor, I thought this would have been one of them. However, because only a handful were highlighted, the full list of which big projects will get funding over the this Parliament won’t be known for several weeks at least. Furthermore, there was a single sentence that hinted of a substantial statement looming on the future growth of our part of the world
“The government will shortly set out plans for New Towns and Cambridge;”
Above – Budget Document. Para 5.71, p76/82pdf
So over the next few weeks we might get some indications on the following:
- Any newtowns in Cambridgeshire
- Ely Junction
- Cambridge Light Rail
- The proposed area of the Cambridge Growth Company / Development Corporation
As mentioned in previous posts, there are a host of consultations coming up from national government. At the same time, the guidance on the local growth plans has also just been published – one for the CPCA, whose growth committee meets next week (and which will have to refresh its meeting papers!)
Unitary councils for Cambridge – the choices signed off by local councils
Cambridgeshire County Council’s press release is here. One thing to note is that it indicates the unitary councils will simply cover the geographical boundaries and have joint district and county powers, and nothing more. If that’s all the restructure results in, it will fail. So much rests on the Devolution Bill and any proposed new powers ministers and Parliament are prepared to grant to unitary councils.
In the meantime options are:
- Cambridge + South Cambs + East Cambs (Proposal A)
- Cambridge + South Cambs (Proposal B)
- Cambridge + South Cambs + Huntingdonshire (Proposal C)
These are based on the populations as per the Cambs Unitaries Campaign Map below
Above – Cambs Unitaries Campaign, Feb 2025
Sounds familiar? It should do to some older readers who may remember the last time we went through restructuring in the early-mid 1990s.
Above – Cambridge Evening News 23 Sept 1993 from the British Newspaper Archive here (also in The Cambridgeshire Unitaries debate 1994 in LostCambridge)
The two unitary model from September 1993 is the same as Proposal A put forward as one of the three options today.
The most likely one for me is Proposal A, but as I’ve said repeatedly, my strong preference is for a much more significant overhaul similar to Redcliffe Maud’s in 1966-69, in which that Royal Commission gave us two unitary councils with Cambridge, and Peterborough at their hearts respectively.
Above – the proposed boundaries for two unitary councils as part of a national overhaul of local government from Redcliffe-Maud’s Royal Commission Report 1969.
If you want to sink your teeth into the Redcliffe-Maud report and maps, see the links here
In the meantime, we’ve got more waiting to do. Which means our governance structure looks like this:
Above – how Cambridge has been governed for the past decade or so – now with added Development Corporation! (Accountable to ministers, in the form of the Cambridge Growth Company) In CamCycle Magazine Summer 2025
Food for thought?
If you are interested in the longer term future of Cambridge, and on what happens at the local democracy meetings where decisions are made, feel free to:
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The Cambridge Town Owl 