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Tory plans to cancel unitary restructuring if they come to power have been dismissed as ‘dodgy propaganda' by one Labour council leader.

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference last week, shadow local government minister, Bob Neill, described the reorganisation as ‘dead in the water'. He pledged the party would not only cancel plans to take the restructuring of Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk any further, but it would ‘revoke and reverse' any legislation the Government passed.

Mr Neill said: ‘There is no public demand for another bout of expensive, time-consuming and divisive unitary restructuring.

‘A Conservative Government will revoke any legislation that this tried and exhausted government pushes through to impose more restructuring. Subject to the will of the people in a general election, new unitaries are dead in the water.'

However, the leader of Norwich City Council, Steve Morphew, has dismissed the plans. He said: ‘The Conservatives seem to be believing their own dodgy propaganda rather than facts,' he said.
Cllr Morphew claimed the plans for Norwich and Norfolk would make massive savings, which were being ignored.

‘Instead of arguing the case, the opponents of our bid have now resorted to judicial reviews and party political posturing.

‘That suggests we have won the real argument for change. Even if we are stymied this time, it is not something that will go away for long. I hope the Government has the courage to do what is right. This feels like Tory opposition to public services dressed up in sheep's clothing.'
The latest round of restructuring has been delayed following a bout of legal challenges.