Councillors at Labour-led Wirral MBC have voted to approach the Government for financial support as it faces a budget gap of almost £50m.
Leader Janette Williamson will write to chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng ‘as a matter of urgency’ to ‘ask for the support Wirral needs and deserves’.
The motion approved at last night’s meeting called for fair funding and a long-term settlement, warning: ‘Without appropriate funding, Wirral and many other councils could be forced to file for bankruptcy.’
Senior sector figures have privately warned that further section 114s were ‘likely’ in local government.
Wirral faces a budget gap of £49m by the end of the financial year, attributed to the impact of inflation, energy costs and staff pay increases.
Labour councillor Paul Stuart said: ‘Wirral is on course for only being able to provide statutory services for our residents if the Government does not step in.
‘We are not making this figure up, we are not scaremongering - we are giving the information to the public that we are being provided by our professional officers.’
Cllr Stuart added the budget gap was a result of the ‘poor economic management of the Tory Government - not this council’.
The motion was backed by the Lib Dems and Green Party.
However, the Conservative group opposed approaching the Government for a bailout, with leader Tom Anderson arguing they should wait for the content of Mr Kwarteng’s economic forecast and settlement offer.
Cllr Anderson added: ‘At the moment the forecast is stark, I accept that, but this motion is premature.’
This article was originally published by The MJ (£).
