Labour MPs in County Durham have been labelled “liars or imbeciles” by a council leader after claims about government funding, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.
Durham County Council said it will receive £51.4 million across three years as part of the latest local government funding settlement, despite claims from regional MPs that £170 million has been awarded.
The money is designed to improve the local authority’s core spending power and can be used to pay for services like bin collections, housing and children’s services.
But Reform council leaders said much of the funding will be spent on responding to current budget overspends.
Responding to the funding announcement, council leader Andrew Husband told a cabinet meeting: “The funding reforms themselves are not particularly fair – false advertising. They do little to address 16 years of neglect and do not come from an angle of assessing whether local government is fairly funded in the first place. They merely spread the jam in a slightly different way, papering over the cracks.
“It is very disingenuous for the government to suggest that they have given us a 27% increase in funding for the people of County Durham when they expect the people to fund this increase themselves through their council tax bills.
“It’s such a shame that our local Labour MPs have told fibs of this scale on the settlement. They are either liars or imbeciles.”
The funding is part of the new multi-year funding settlement, which sets out local government finances for the three years up to 2029.
Luke Akehurst, Labour MP for North Durham, said: “This is a turning point, a chance to turn the page on a decade of cuts and callousness, and for local leaders to invest in getting back what has been lost – to bring back libraries, youth services, clean streets, and community hubs.
“For too long, deprived communities were left behind. We’re ending the postcode lottery so everyone can access the services their community deserves.”
But Reform said the funding figures are also reliant on council tax being increased by the maximum five per cent next year.
Cllr Husband added: “It is looking increasingly likely that we will have little option but to raise council tax by 3.1%, well below the 5% the Government assumed we would have to raise it by and below the rate of inflation – the first time the council has done so in so many years.
“I expect this figure to be a lot lower than many of our neighbouring councils and one of the lowest across Reform UK and the country”.
The settlement also includes other changes, including letting councils keep all additional council tax from new homes to encourage local growth and home ownership.
An updated funding system will also be introduced, the Government announced, which aims to make more money available for areas with the greatest need.
A Labour spokesperson said: “His party promised they’d cut the people of Durham’s taxes, all they’ve done so far is cut support for the most vulnerable, and now are raising taxes for everyone else.
“This is a huge moment for local government funding. With Labour, funding will once again be linked to deprivation. This is the difference Labour in local government working hand in hand with the national government can make.”
Bill Edgar
Reporter for the Local Democracy Reporter Service.
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
Andrew Husband still stand by this unacceptable language?
Andrew Husband why are comments turned off on your page? Do you not think it’s worth residents being able to have any dialogue with you?
Not turned off. Hi btw, this is dialogue or you can message or email me.
What I said is factually correct and based on official Treasury data. Mr Husband is welcome to make the argument that giving the funding increase in cash terms rather than ‘Core Spending Power’ is a more helpful measure, but he is completely wrong to smear me and others as “liars” and “imbeciles” when we are repeating facts.
That sort of uncivil language is not allowed in the House of Commons chamber, and has no place in politics.
Worse still were his threats to ban Labour MPs from County Hall (which he doesn’t have the right to do) because he was angry with Mary Kelly Foy MP, and his threat to withdraw Durham from the North East Mayor’s bus funding deal in response to me speaking up on behalf of my constituents against council plans to cut two bus routes. He wasn’t only threatening me, he was threatening my constituents. Straight out the Donald Trump playbook.
He needs to learn to keep his temper and moderate his language.
On the issue of Council Funding, whatever figure you use – CSP, which the Treasury uses, or pure cash increase, which Mr Husband prefers – on either measure Durham is one the winners from the new fairer funding formulas which take more account of disadvantage. That’s something to welcome.
Hi narcacisst who doesn’t listen to the people and only likes a good photo op! The MP who does what he wants and anyone else be damned.
They most certainly are narcacissts!
They deserve sacking!