Despite confirming at the start of summer that Warwickshire would be split into two unitary authorities, the Government have now u-turned, with just 8 months to go before the next set of elections causing chaos and frustration for council employees and residents. 

Commenting on this, Manuela Perteghella, Liberal Democrat MP for Stratford-on-Avon said:

“It beggars’ belief that the Government has done this, at the eleventh hour.

“I have long campaigned for a South/ North Warwickshire split as this is the best way to provide good quality local government for my constituents. 

“For too long, George Finch’s Reform administration has treated the South like the goose with the golden egg.  Decisions such as the closure of Great Alne primary school in the face of significant increases in housing development demonstrate how out of touch this Reform led administration are, and how they don’t prioritise my constituents. 

This week, Manuela took the opportunity to raise this with the secretary of state. Speaking in the House of Commons, she said:

“This sudden U-turn is greatly disappointing for my constituency, after so much work by council officials, residents, councillors and other partners, and after so much money wasted on LGR costs. 

“Given that the two-unitary model in Warwickshire—South Warwickshire and North Warwickshire—was championed by my constituents, the majority of local council leaders and the majority of Warwickshire MPs, will the Secretary of State reassure us all regarding the timescale for this review?

“Above all, will she reassure us that the decision will respect the democratic input of the people of Warwickshire who contributed to the previous LGR process?

The Secretary of State, Angela Rayner MP, recognised the concerns raised by Manuela and responded accordingly:

“Absolutely, I reassure the hon. Member that this is about me reviewing the decisions and making sure they are absolutely correct. I want to do that. I recognise the work that has gone in from her local area and those representatives, and I pay tribute to the work that they are doing. I have indicated that I want the review to take weeks rather than months. I do not want to kick the can down the road; I just want to ensure that the decisions that we made are robust and take us forward in the spirit of co-operation with local areas.”

The flagship British luxury carmaker employs circa 34,000 people in the West Midlands with an additional 120,000 people employed in the supply chain, often performing highly specialised roles with no market equivalent. 

The 4,000 redundancies will reduce JLR’s workforce by approximately 12%. Further impacts on the supply chain are yet to be quantified, but it paints a bleak picture for this Midlands employer which has a huge impact on the local economy. 

Commenting on this, Manuela Perteghella, MP for Stratford-on-Avon said:

“A lot of JLR employees live in my constituency, so this is high on my list of concerns, and I have raised these with executives at JLR. 

Last years’ cyber-attack, falling sales and Trump’s tariffs are three of the major headwinds that have contributed to the decision. 

“The former Tory Government relied too heavily on the so-called special relationship with the USA. Trump’s self-harm, crash and burn style policies are damaging interests with countries throughout the world. 

“It underlines once again that trade with European partners is vital to maintain a stable economy. Now more than ever we need to invest in international relationships of mutual benefit.” 

Manuela called for the Government to act:

“Andy Burnham’s Labour Government have already confirmed that there will be no bailout, but there is still a lot they can do to support the business.

““The Government must seek to protect Brand Britain from Trump’s America and hostile cyber-attacks that have dark roots from across the globe. We need stronger protections against cyber attacks and a switch in strategy that moves us towards new markets and opportunities in this changing global landscape. 

Manuela Perteghella, MP for Stratford on Avon has slammed the Government’s handling of crime as “asleep at the wheel”, and has called for emergency legislation to legally bind police forces to attend every single burglary, and to give local police the resources needed. 

New figures from 2025 show that of the 223,194 burglaries reported in England and Wales, just 13,936 (6.24%) resulted in someone being charged, whilst in a shocking 160,396 (71.86%) cases police failed to even identify a suspect. In Warwickshire, those figures are 2.96% charge/summons rate, and 1,542 (73.64%) of cases where the police fail to identify a suspect.

Home Office data analysed by the Liberal Democrats have found that 97.04% of the 2,094 burglary cases reported in Warwickshire result in the criminal getting away scot free. Lib Dem MP, Manuela Perteghella, is demanding an urgent restoration of neighbourhood police funding.

Manuela Perteghella has slammed the Government’s handling of the situation as “asleep at the wheel”, calling out Andy Burnham for failing to commit to tackling crime since taking office.

Liberal Democrats have urged Ministers to get a grip on crime and bring forward emergency legislation to ensure that all domestic burglaries are attended by the police and properly investigated. Currently, the vast majority of burglars are getting away scot free.

Manuela Perteghella has urged the Prime Minister to bring in a ‘Burglary Response Guarantee’, to reassure families across Warwickshire that burglaries will be investigated, and that the criminals involved will be brought to justice.

Manuela Perteghella, MP for Stratford-on-Avon said:

“It is unacceptable that families and businesses across Warwickshire are being left terrified as the vast majority of burglaries go unsolved. The Government has been asleep at the wheel, a persistent lack of support for community policing has left our streets vulnerable.

“In 97.04% of burglary cases, the victims never see someone charged. That has to change. Warwickshire Police works tirelessly but they require the proper resources and mandate from central government to ensure every single case is rigorously investigated.

“That’s why I’m demanding urgent action from the Prime Minister, to restore proper funding for neighbourhood policing so that our police officers our properly supported, and back our calls for an investigation guarantee for all burglaries in Warwickshire.”

Picture credit: Dee Robinson