Billions needed to address jaw-dropping council funding cuts

Funding announced in the Chancellor’s spending review goes nowhere near to solving this

Commenting on the Councils In Crisis report from the TUC and the New Economics Foundation saying councils will face a £25 billion funding gap by 2025 published today (Sunday), UNISON head of local government Jon Richards said:

“Councils are at breaking point. This report lays bare the jaw-dropping scale of austerity cuts inflicted on councils in the past decade.

“The funding announced in the Chancellor’s spending review goes nowhere near to solving this. Social care needs billions and many councils are scarcely able to maintain even the minimum level of services the law requires.

“Local authorities need certainty so they can plan for the future but Boris Johnson’s unstable regime and its short-term promises is making this impossible. The government must also fund staff fairly by meeting their latest pay claim in full.”

Notes to editors:
– The TUC and New Economics Foundation’s Councils In Crisis report can be accessed here.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in both the public and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: l.chinchen@unison.co.uk