Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Hinckley and Bosworth, said “This whole process by the Government has been rushed, with mixed messages from the start. The situation was clear; councils up and down the country could either jump or be pushed into a unitary authority.

“The Government say these changes are voluntary yet the Secretary of State for Local Government, Angela Rayner, confirmed again today directly that this is a legal invitation to all 21 two-tier councils in England. We all know a ‘legal’ invitation is not advisory or something you can ignore!

“As part of the process, councils were marched up a hill by the Government to postpone their elections, only for the Government to change its mind and give just six areas the ability to do so. Areas that aren’t part of this first wave of reorganisation have been thrown into more doubt, as Labour fail to give direction or set out a timescale for the changes. This causes havoc, upset and uncertainty.

“I have directly challenged the Secretary of State in the Commons Chamber over the process and asked for a meeting with her, all County and Borough Council Leaders and the Leicestershire MPs to try and work towards the best way forward for our area and residents.”