A SHAKE-UP leading to a directly elected mayor in south Essex would be a “white elephant” say MPs, who claim council leaders created the plan in secret.

Councils in Southend, Basildon, Thurrock, Rochford, Brentwood and Castle Point revealed plans for a new combined authority which could lead to a directly elected mayor.

MPs Sir David Amess and Mark Francois criticised council bosses for not discussing it with them first.

Sir David, MP for Southend West, said: “No-one involved in this suggestion has asked my opinion or briefed me as to what it would mean. Together with my immediate colleagues, I will be discussing the matter with the relevant minister.

“The issues which I have would be that the last thing I would support would be yet another layer of bureaucracy. The state of the economy is troubling because of the Covid-19 crisis. I would not support money being spent on an extra tier of government.”

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The MP also raised the issue in the House of Commons calling the way it has been handled “disgraceful”.

Mr Francois, MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, added: “As a south Essex MP I am completely opposed to this ridiculous white elephant, which would impose a needless layer of additional bureaucracy over half our county and which has been dreamt up in private, over two years of secret meetings, by a cabal of six council leaders and six chief executives.

“Not only were back bench councillors deliberately excluded from this process, so were the people of South Essex and their elected MPs, who have never been formally briefed by Association of South Essex Local Authorities about the Combined Authority.”

Under the plans, council leaders hope an elected mayor could get more devolved powers from the Government, along with a major boost in financial support for infrastructure.

They claim it could create 100,000 new jobs, 96,000 new homes and overhaul public transport.

However, without the support of MPs it may be difficult to get Government approval.

Councillors have also criticised the plan for a new mayor.