On Wednesday 9 October, Mary Kelly Foy, Labour MP for the City of Durham expressed her concerns directly with the Prime Minister, regarding the financial situation facing Durham County Council; calling for a new funding formula to ensure essential services will be protected.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Foy highlighted how the former Conservative
Government’s unfair funding formula has affected the ability of the local authority to deliver essential services, such as social care, in her constituency.
New settlement needed
Foy called for a new settlement that would be fair and based on the needs of constituents. She also appealed for long term stability for local authorities, which need to restore essential services after fourteen years of local government underfunding.
This question follows on from recent warnings delivered by Durham County Council’s leadership, who are under great financial pressure and recently issued an urgent plea for extra government funding to protect front line services.
Addressing the Prime Minister, Foy asked:
“What assurances can the Prime Minister give me that essential services will be restored, and that a new funding formula will be genuinely a fair one, focusing on the needs of my constituents, especially the most vulnerable.”
The Prime Minister, responding to Foy’s question, outlined how this highlighted one of the many fallings of the last government. Due to successive years of underfunding, councils have been left experiencing significant budget pressures. He pledged that the government would “clear up the mess” and get councils back on their feet. This would be done through multi-year funding settlements and recognising the important role of councils in delivering the services on which people rely.
