Today’s announcement by the Government that Exeter and Norwich will become unitary councils has been welcomed by Cambridge Labour Parliamentary candidate Daniel Zeichner, who says that it shows that Cambridge should have made a similar bid.

Mr Zeichner, who has described the powers available to Cambridge City Council as ‘not much more than a parish council’ has already offered to take the leader of the City Council to meet Labour ministers to press the case for Cambridge.

The Government has decided that a unitary structure for Exeter and Norwich would make each a far more potent economic force than with the current two-tier local government system, and will make sure these two key regional cities are ready to seize the opportunities opening up as the recovery begins to promote growth, reduce unemployment, and rebuild local economies.

“Today’s decision is good news for two cities, but shows how local Liberal Democrats wasted the chance to win similar powers for Cambridge. Cambridge continues to suffer from a lack of leadership – as a city of world-renown, it is pathetic that the city council isn’t even in a position to grit the pavements when the snow falls!”