Of all the areas woefully neglected by the previous government, few have been decimated quite like local councils. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost since 2010 and councils have been forced to close thousands of vital services.
UNISON research revealed that over 1,200 youth centres, 1,100 children’s centres and over 1,300 libraries all previously run by councils have ceased to exist. The impact on our members and local communities has been profound.
That is why the upcoming spending review – in which the Westminster government will decide how to allocate funding for the next few years – will be so important for councils. This is a chance for the government to begin to reverse the damage inflicted upon our local services over the past 15 years.
We are encouraging as many members as possible to contact their local MPs using our online tool, to ask that the Treasury provides councils with a fair funding settlement.
UNISON recognises that the government has taken some positive initial steps. These include beginning to ensure that councils with greater levels of deprivation get more resources and ending the process of having to make competitive bids for funding.
However, as the Secretary of State for Local Government Angela Rayner said recently: “Despite the funding injection from this government, councils of all political stripes are in crisis. A decade of cuts and sticky-plaster politics has left councils in a 14-year doom loop.”
A growing number of councils across the country are edging closer to a financial precipice, and many are in danger of going bankrupt. Far more funding, alongside public policy reform to halt continued exploitation by the private sector, is desperately needed.
I want to urge all members to take the time to contact your MP and ask them to support an urgent funding settlement that will help save our local services.
Ask your MP for an urgent increase in council funding now
Find out what the cuts will be like where you live
For those of you who can visit your MP in person, UNISON has created a detailed guide to help put forward a strong case for more money.
Local councils are going to be integral to ensuring that the government can achieve the five core missions that it has set itself. From generating economic growth, tackling crime, to building an NHS fit for the future, none of their goals will be met unless councils are properly resourced.
Take the ambition to kickstart economic growth. The chancellor recently talked about her desire to bring about major changes to the planning system in England to encourage more development. However, after enduring years of budget cuts, most councils across England do not have enough planning staff to be able to deal with an increase in planning applications.
Similarly, attempts to tackle problems like youth crime will fail unless councils are given the resources to rebuild their greatly diminished youth services.
The more members we get to contact MPs, however you do it, the greater chance we have of getting a fair settlement for local councils. We all want the government’s missions to succeed, but this won’t happen unless local government gets the urgent support it needs.
