William Eichler 29 October 2018

Liverpool mayor calls for ‘fair funding formula’ for councils

The mayor of Liverpool has called for a Royal Commission to ensure a ‘fair funding formula’ for local council services.

Mayor Joe Anderson urged the chancellor ahead of the Budget to bring ‘a clear end to austerity’ and to provide ‘clarity’ on funding settlements beyond 2019/2020.

He also called for urgent confirmation around the future operation of business rates and said the chancellor should commit to a Royal Commission on financing local public services.

‘I’m calling on the chancellor to look at establishing a Royal Commission so that can create a fair and transparent system of financing local government for the long-term, ending an approach that is currently too short-termist and opaque about how allocations are made,’ he said.

Mayor Anderson said the Government needs to ‘future-proof the system’ to take into account the rising demand for adult social care and children’s services.

He also urged Whitehall to ‘scrap’ the current model of Universal Credit which he described as ‘unfair and punitive.’

Clarity is also needed about how monies repatriated from the EU will be redistributed via the Shared Prosperity Fund, he said.

‘I’ve long campaigned for a fairer funding regime, but the cumulative effects of austerity, the botched implementation of Universal Credit and the looming threat of Brexit mean the issue is now urgent,’ said Mayor Anderson.

‘We desperately need system that focuses on need and helps us strengthen and grow our local economies so that councils are better able to generate new forms of income and become more self-reliant.’  

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Lead Compliance Officer - WMF2147e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£55,119 - £57,362
Cumbria is a great place to live and work with excellent schools, transport links and outdoor pursuits. Kendal, Cumbria
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Solicitor - Penrith Town Council

Westmorland and Furness Council
£50,788 (FTE)
Solicitor - Penrith Town Council Penrith, Cumbria
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Technology Lead, Selby

North Yorkshire Council
£45,718 to £49,764 pa
Are you a senior developer with knowledge of cloud? Selby, North Yorkshire
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council

Technology Lead, Scarborough

North Yorkshire Council
£45,718 to £49,764 pa
Are you passionate about being at the forefront of Emerging Technology including AI? Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council

Community - Healthcare Support Worker

NHS Orkney
Band 3 (£28,011 - £30,230)
If you share our vision and are ready to be part of Team Orkney, we’d love to hear from you. Balfour, Orkney
Recuriter: NHS Orkney
Linkedin Banner