A war of words has broken out between academics and ministers over the way the latest unitaries were created. Local government minister John Healey has already rebutted claims by academics in a book Botched business that the process setting them up was flawed and secretive and insisted they were on course to save £100m a year (The MJ, 24 July). Now in a letter to local government weekly The MJ, one of the book's authors, Steve Leach, professor of local government at De Montfort University, calls for a select committee inquiry into the process. He adds: ‘The recent reorganisation process is a worrying example of ministers and civil servants tinkering around with local government structure.' But Mr Healey rejected the allegations, saying: ‘We have been completely open throughout this process, with Parliament, with councils and with the public. The claims made just don't stack up. Independent financial experts thoroughly analysed the proposals and we based our assessment of financial cost on their findings, not figures from councils.'
