Dorset councils merger: Christchurch MP barred from vote

Speaking in the House of Commons, Sir Christopher Chope said he wanted to "participate fully" in the committee

An MP is unable to vote in a decision over the abolition of an 800-year-old council, due to parliamentary rules.

Sir Christopher Chope, MP for Christchurch, has opposed plans that would see Christchurch merge with Poole and Bournemouth.

Although he can attend the parliamentary committee meeting he cannot vote because he is not a member of that committee.

Commons Speaker John Bercow said he could not intervene.

Mr Bercow urged ministers to hold talks with the MP.

Proposals for the new council structure, which would replace nine Dorset councils with two new authorities and aims to save £108m over six years, were approved by the then Communities Secretary Sajid Javid in February.

Christchurch Borough Council, the only local authority to oppose the move, had written to the government saying it had acted "beyond its powers".

Under the plans, all nine councils would cease to exist.

A second unitary authority would be formed from Dorset County Council, East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, Weymouth & Portland and West Dorset.

Dorset's nine councils will become two unitary authorities in April 2019

Speaking in the House of Commons, Sir Christopher said: "Minority interests, particularly where they affect uniquely one constituency, they should be able to be fully represented on the committee."

He said he wanted to be able to "participate fully" and asked the Speaker if there was "any remedy".

Mr Bercow replied: "There's no obvious means that occurs to me whereby that decision can be reversed.

"There's no procedural opportunity via the chair, for example, or initiated by anyone other than the government."

Christchurch Borough Council has already submitted its own plan for the restructuring of Dorset's local authorities to the government.

If given parliamentary approval, the new structure would come into effect in April next year.