SIX Dorset MPs have backed plans to merge the county’s nine major councils into two.

However, the joint statement, released after council leaders also voiced support for the formation of two new unitary council’s, has not been signed by Christchurch MP Chris Chope nor South Dorset MP Richard Drax.

Mr Chope told the Daily Echo: “Christchurch council has made it quite clear they do not support any of the options.

“I have to say, my colleagues’ enthusiasm for abolishing their own councils may be because they feel it is in the best interests of their constituents, but they are also ignorant about the true nature of Option 2B.

“Do my colleagues realise that they will be condemning their constituents to substantial increases in council tax? In Poole, for example, the council tax would have to go up by 16 per cent to equalise with Christchurch.

“Some of my colleagues may be behaving like predators, but I’m determined to defend the interests of my constituents.”

Meanwhile, Mr Drax said: “I will work with whatever structure is finally decided but I don’t want to appear to impose my will on something yet to be decided. Although, I quite understand why my colleagues are backing what, on the face of it, appears to be a logical solution.”

A range of options are due to be discussed by all nine full councils in January before the local authorities put their case to government.

The front-runner, which has attracted support from council leaders and now the six MPs, is Option 2B - the creation of one council for Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, with another for the rest of the county.

The joint statement, backed by Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns; Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood; Poole MP Robert Syms; Mid Dorset & North Poole MP Michael Tomlinson; West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin, and North Dorset MP Simon Hoare, read: “As MPs representing six of the eight Dorset constituencies, we are writing in support of the recommendations made by the leaders of our county, unitary and district councils for reform of local government in Dorset.”

The joint statement goes onto say that the recommendations backed by the council leaders - to establish two new unitary councils - constitute a “realistic and sensible way” of achieving the savings needed to be made to provide “crucial public services.”

All six MPs said: “We therefore urge councillors across Dorset to follow the lead of their leaders. We are confident that, if they do so, the Secretary of State will accept the proposals - offering a clear way forward.”

Last week, a heated extraordinary meeting of Christchurch Borough Council voted that keeping the current system would be in Christchurch residents’ best interests. This followed the results of a public consultation, announced earlier, which revealed 73 per cent of 4,258 respondents backed a merger in principal. However, this consultation also showed Christchurch residents bucked this trend, with 54 per cent of them opposed to the move.