More than 40 MPs representing county areas have called on the Government to provide emergency funding to cash-strapped local authorities to prevent further cuts to local services.
The 46 MPs have written to the Prime Minister saying they were ‘exceptionally concerned’ residents will be faced with a ‘double whammy’ of more cuts and higher council tax if the Government fails to make more funding available in next month’s Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024/25.
County councils are set to overspend this year by £650m and are facing a total £4bn funding deficit over three years.
The group of MPs, 44 of whom are Conservatives, include former Local Government Secretary of States Robert Jenrick and Greg Clark, as well Priti Patel, Therese Coffey, Damien Green, and Brandon Lewis. They also include former local government ministers Neil O’Brien, Heather Wheeler, Kit Malthouse, and Jake Berry.
The letter, co-ordinated by County Council Network (CCN) and the County All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), read: ‘There is still an opportunity to rectify the situation and ensure MPs are able to support the vote on the Local Government Settlement within the House of Commons in early February.
‘We would therefore urge you to do all you can to use the Final Local Government Finance Settlement to provide additional funding for local government to ensure that the councils in our areas can continue to provide the services that our residents depend upon on a regular basis.’
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